Tony's Journey: Unova Grand Tour!
by Coli Chibi
Summary: Tony Miller, bug-catcher extraordinaire, is back on the road to becoming the world's greatest Bug Pokemon Master and Champion of Unova. However, with growing feelings for a certain Gym Leader, a deteriorating relationship with his beloved aunt, the revitalized Team Plasma, and the bloodthirsty Genesect on the loose, he's going to find it's a long, hard road to be the best!
1. Prologue: The Return of N

The Unova Region!

A magnificent country, covered in majestic mountains, fertile forests, glowing grasslands and lustrous lakes. A land of progress, filled with people who inhabit both sprawling cities and tiny towns. A land of natural wonders, with strange, magical creatures called Pokemon, beings whose existence defied the scientific norm.

Pokemon (a romanticized term for Pocket Monsters) are friends to mankind, having been their stalwart allies since the beginning of recorded history. Pokemon come in many different shapes and sizes and crawl, fly and swim about the regions of the world. They possess amazing powers that were far beyond any weapon or machine human beings could produce themselves. In the hands of the cruel they were deadly tools of mass-destruction, and in the hands of the good they were soldiers in the fight for justice. Not all Pokemon, of course, were used for battle. Some kept Pokemon as pets, allowing their friends to help them in their everyday routines and sharing their lives and happiness with them.

Of course, Pokemon Battles were a regular part of life in all regions. Most weren't fatal. Actually, most were simply friendly competition between Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon friends, contests of strength, speed and timing, much like martial arts, boxing or wrestling. The Pokemon League was the authority on Pokemon Trainers worldwide, with Pokemon Gyms and challenges awaiting trainers with the dream of becoming the region's Pokemon Champion. With the Pokemon League's rules and regulations keeping all trainers in line, Pokemon trainers were free to train to be the best - like no one ever was!

Pokemon were a way of life. Pokemon training was almost considered to be like a college-course, allowing trainers to acquire jobs in fields of construction companies, (which used Pokemon for demolition and heavy-lifting) police-work, (which used Pokemon to catch criminals) firefighting, (which used Water-type Pokemon to extinguish fires) Pokeology, (which used Pokemon for... Okay, you get it. Pokemon mean everything here.)

In layman's terms: Unova ran upon Pokemon. The world ran upon Pokemon. Whether it be as friends or partners or workers, Pokemon made the world go round. As such, it seemed impossible that anyone would ever want to separate humans and Pokemon from one another.

Sadly, in the Pokemon World, the impossible seemed to happen quite often.

They showed up years ago. It was a small group of human protesters who called themselves Team Plasma. Plasma was an acronym, standing for Pokemon Liberation And Separation from Mankind's Atrocities. As the acronym implied, Team Plasma was dedicated to "Pokemon Liberation." They preached that Pokemon should be taken from humanity, that humans were stealing Pokemon away from the wild habitats and forcing them into slave labor.

At first, no one listened to them. They were just a group of twenty, maybe thirty nut-jobs passing out flyers at people's doorsteps. As the years went by, however, their numbers swelled to numbers beyond five-hundred. Charismatic speeches and stirring arguments began to change people's minds - not many people, mind you, but some did begin to see the Pokemon League in a different light.

The Plasma Movement was more than just a philosophy - it was a cult, wrapped in the legends and lore of the Unova Region, filled with bizarre rituals. Before long, trainers were slowly starting to release their Pokemon back into the wild, for better or for worse. The public was starting to see them in a different light, and beginning to question their relationships with Pokemon.

However, it was not enough for the supreme ruler of Team Plasma, the mysterious Plasma King. He wanted Pokemon to be liberated faster. When the Plasma hype began to die down, he issued an order to his minions. They were to invade Nimbasa City, the entertainment capitol and most-populated city in the Unova Region, hold all of its inhabitants hostage and destroy all of the hated Pokemon League establishments.

The invasion had lasted only a day. Spies within Team Plasma tipped off the police, and the entirety of the invasion force, including several Team Plasma higher-ups, were captured in the counterattack. Team Plasma was left broken and scattered.

It was down - but not out. Not out at all...

* * *

**One month ago...**

* * *

It was a dark, dark night on Twist Mountain.

It was spring, early May to be exact. The sky was pitch-black, looming clouds covering the moon and stars in their dark shroud. A bitter wind blew, ruffling what little vegetation grew on the rocky mountain. Thunder groan in the distance, followed by a brief flash of lightning.

Twist Mountain was a dangerous place, as was any other mountain. Too loud a noise could result in a deadly rock-slide. The Pokemon were wild and territorial, some of them aggressive to the point of mauling unsuspecting trainers. The hills were steep and rocky; a simple slip could result in essentially sliding down a slide made of sandpaper. It was especially dangerous during a night like this, with no light to guide a foolish hiker. It would be all too easy to accidentally walk off a cliff or stumble into a vicious Pokemon's den.

Twist Mountain was a dangerous place; as such, it was perfect for people who liked privacy, like the Triad.

"Hut! Hyah!"

On the very peak of Twist Mountain sat a small cave - well, cave was a generous term. It was more of a crack with just enough room to live in. It served its purpose, however, for its inhabitants cared little for comfort. In fact, they cared little for any sort of leisure or rest at all.

"Hut! Hyah!"

Three men, almost identical to one another, stood on the mountaintop, ignoring the distant roar of thunder and the fact that lightning strikes the highest point, and that you didn't get much higher than on top of a mountain. No, they were professionals, and professionals never let the weather interfere with their training.

"Hut! Hyah!"

For over six years now they had trained up on the mountain peak, free of the distractions of society. For six years they had not spoken to another human being other than to each other, and even then they rarely said more than a broken sentence a day, if even that. Their energy was focused only on their training and nothing more. They wanted only to spar and hated to be disturbed.

"Zebstrika, Flash."

Disturbed they were. A bright flash suddenly exploded over the peak, quickly covering the martial artists with blinding brightness that made them squint. They were tall men, lanky and lean, covered in wiry muscles. Their hair was all completely white, wild and unkempt. They wore no clothes save for simple black pants, torn and shredded after years of intense training. Their skin was pale and almost sickly in appearance. None of them were happy to be interrupted by the impudent fool who had just brightened the mountain peak.

A slow trotting noise, the sound of hooves gently pounding against stone, began to fill the air with a gentle beat. Slowly, a glowing beast, equine in shape with black and white stripes and an impressive, sharp-looking mane, glowing with brightly light, protruding from his head.

Sitting on the beast's back was a young man - a boy, really, no more than fourteen years old at the most. His skin was soft and unblemished and the cloak that was wrapped around his body was unstained and pristine. This boy was soft; weak. This boy... this impudent child... had come to a place where weakness had no place. Where weakness was the greatest sin.

The boy seemed to think he did, however. He stepped down from his beast and made his way to the trio of ninjas, who were staring at him with disdain and annoyance. The impudent brat stepped towards them, the glow at his back making him almost appear messiah-like. His long, whitish-green hair gently waved in the wind as he looked up at the lead ninja, who was almost two full heads taller than he was, and undoubtedly stronger as well.

The ninja spoke first. "You don't belong here," he rasped in a grating voice that implied he ate sandpaper for breakfast each morning.

The boy was hardly impressed. He had seen enough tall, dark and brooding types with deep, grating voices to last him a lifetime. Besides, he knew that these ninjas wouldn't harm him. "Hello," he greeted in a polite tone, amazingly polite for a boy who was so suicidal.

"Goodbye," the ninjas replied in unison, glaring down upon the intruder.

The boy had been suspecting a reaction like that, and had naturally come prepared. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small shred of cloth, torn from a uniform of some sort, and tossed it to the ground. The cloth depicted a simple crest: a black shield with a blue slash of lightning running through it, and a large blue letter P emblazoned upon the front.

The trio of ninja's hardly reacted, but the boy saw the small glint of surprise flash in their eyes. Slowly but surely the trio bowed down, totally humbled by the boy. "Master..." they intoned.

The Plasma King, also known as N Harmonia, smiled. Team Plasma was _back_, baby!

* * *

Twist Mountain was an imposing sight from below. From above, it looked small. Granted, everything looked small from above.

A loud screeching sound filled the air as the bizarre creature shot through the air, faster than a bullet and far more deadly (not that guns actually seemed to exist in the Pokemon world). Like a thunderbolt from heaven, it shot down to the ground, faster than the eye could register.

There was a mighty crash as it came down, plowing a crater into the mountainside. Rock and stone flew everywhere as a shock-wave ripped through the earth. The roar of the explosion filled the air, followed by silence.

Smoke and heat emanated from the pit, followed by a bright red glow. A metallic limb, long and clawed at the fingertips, shot from the crater, quickly followed by another. Gears began to whirl and a motor began to roar as the horrible monster rose from the ashes. A disk-shaped head sat upon a thin body, supported by even thinner legs. A pair of hideous, bulbous eyes sat on the head, glowing bright red with malice.

The bizarre monster shot up the mountainside, reaching the peak in seconds. The horrible eyes began to scan now-vacant training ground, quickly finding a set of deep footprints, hooves by the looks of them.

A metallic whir began to buzz in the beast's head as he scanned the footprints. _Zebstrika, the Thunderbolt Pokemon. Pure Electric-type Pokemon. Equine in nature. Hoof-prints match Zebstrika. Probability of Zebstrika being used as a mount by King N: High. Logical Operation: Search Area. Find King N. Disassemble._

A horrible screeching sound filled the air as the beast folded his limbs away. A sonic-boom filled the air as he shot off into the sky again. It wouldn't be long now before he had that inferior human... the little wretch who dared to think that this beast, this wonder of science, was an abomination.

Rage filled every circuit and every lobe of this monster's half-computer brain. It was a Pokemon - a Legendary Pokemon. It was far beyond any human power and any Pokemon power as well. It was _perfect _in every way. It was invincible.

It would have its revenge... and nothing and no one would get in its way. King N, Team Plasma... the entire human race would pay for this insult against it.

They would see... they would _all see_...

* * *

**Coli Chibi presents...**

**A Pokemon: Black and White fan-fiction...**

**Tony's Journey: Unova Grand Tour.**


	2. The Return of Tony and Lucky!

**Route 1, north of Nuvema Town, by the shore.**

* * *

Ker-plop!

With a tiny splash and a wave of tiny ripples, the bobber sank into the water and quickly popped back up. The bait, a chunk of cheese, sank into the brine of the bay.

A young man was sitting on the yellow sandy beach, leaning back in the sand as he clutched his homemade, bamboo fishing rod in his hands. Making himself comfortable, he gave a yawn and then a whistle, striking up a merry tune as he patiently awaited a bite.

He was a young man, almost fifteen but not quite out of fourteen yet. His hair was bright blonde and his eyes an icy blue. He was wearing a pair of blue shorts and a yellow t-shirt, along with a white band with the word "Victory!" written in traditional Kantonian.

"Freeh?" his companion chirped in a high-pitched voice.

"Relax, Lucky," the boy soothed. "Take a load off."

His partner, a butterfly-like Pokemon called a Butterfree, nodded her purple head. She plopped to the ground next to him, folding her large white wings behind her back. "Freeh?" she asked again.

"Just be patient," her trainer replied. "This time it will happen, I know it." He gave her a cheeky grin. "I'm using cheese for bait this time," he explained.

Lucky was hardly impressed. Rolling her large, ruby-colored eyes she settled down for a nap. Her trainer hadn't caught anything worth fighting for days no matter what bait he had been using. His desire to find a worthy opponent was clouding his judgement.

There was a tug on the pole, and the bamboo trembled and bent. The boy was nearly yanked from his back to his stomach by the force of the pull. Any normal individual would have let the pole go and made a run for it. The boy, however, was far from normal. A silly grin split across his face as he tugged the pole back as hard as he could. "It's a big one!" he cheered. "It's a big one!"

Lucky leaped off of the ground with a chirp, grabbing the back of her trainer's shirt to prevent him from being dragged into the water. "Freeh!" she cried, terrified.

Her trainer laughed. "The cheese worked!" he cheered.

Lucky scowled. "Freeh..." she growled, bonking her trainer on the head to remind him of the imminent threat.

"Oh, right," the boy said, releasing the rod. "Alright, that'll have it plenty angry. Let's see if it shows its face..."

The water began to bubble and froth. A serpentine tail, covered in blue scales, splashed angrily in the brine. With an enraged roar, something big shot out from the sea, the boy's fishing pole still attached by the line to its jaws. "Gyrah!" the monstrous serpent roared, his gaping maw showering the boy and his Butterfree with spittle. Its breath reeked of Fist Pokemon and seaweed.

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, red and black device, hitting a button on its and holding it up to the irked Water-type Pokemon. There was a click as the device scanned the leviathan, quickly giving out an encyclopedia-like description:

**"Gyarados.**

**Classification: The Atrocious Pokemon.**

**Type: Water/Flying**

**This specimen's gender: Male**

**Ability: Intimidate **

**Description: Known throughout the world as a vicious sea-monster. While normally solitary and peaceful, it becomes a nearly unstoppable force when enraged. It seems to have an almost empathic ability to sense war and strife among humans, and when it does it arrives at seaside cities and demolishes everything and anyone it sees with powerful attacks. According to some legends, this Pokemon hates to fight and only does so to terrify humans into pacifism. **

**Threat Level: Extremely High! Do not approach under any circumstances! That means _you,_ Tony!"**

Tony Miller groaned as he face-palmed. "I figured Professor Juniper would add something like that when she updated the Pokedex..." he told Lucky. "Oh well, no avoiding this fight. He seems pretty angry."

"Gyaarah!" the Gyarados roared, enraged by the hook stuck in his mouth. Sure, it was just a pin-prick, really, but it was the principle of the thing. He couldn't have every stupid human with a stick and string thinking they could just fish up anyone they pleased, now could he?

"Think you can handle him, Lucky?" Tony asked, clenching his fists and leaping back to a safer position.

"Freeh!" Lucky said haughtily. _Handle him? I could take him if I was poisoned, confused, paralyzed, asleep, flinching and with one wing tied behind me back!_

"Alright!" our hero declared bravely. "Let's do this... but let's let our friend make the first move."

"Freeh!" Lucky agreed, gesturing for the monster to bring it.

Gyarados roared angrily, a ball of blue and yellow fire exploding in his gaping jaws. With a snarl, the Atrocious Pokemon launched a massive plume of heat and flame at the boy and his Butterfree.

Tony didn't even have to say a word for Lucky to know it was dodging time. The Butterfree shot into the air with amazing speed far beyond most members of her species. "Good job!" Tony exclaimed as his Pokemon effortlessly dodged the Dragon Rage attack. It took a moment for the boy to realize the attack was aimed at him. Tony's eyes went wide and he let loose a very girlish scream as he leaped aside, dodging the beam of power as it shot by, scorching the sand as it passed. "Uh, keep the battle over the water please!" Tony shouted to Lucky. "Auntie will kill me if I die!"

"Freeh," Lucky replied, making no promises.

"Alright then!" Tony said, regaining his courage. "Let's start with our new moves! First things first: Giga Drain!"

"Freeh!" Lucky cried, dodging the snapping jaws of the Gyarados as he charged at her with his mouth wide open. As the beast passed, a bright green aura burst around Lucky as she absorbed energy from the Water/Flying-type, drawing power from her opponent's own strength.

"Bingo!" Tony cheered. "Good job!"

Gyarados' enraged roar filled the air, silencing both Tony and Lucky. Frosty-looking mist poured from the beast's mouth as he bared his seven-inch fangs, ready to snap Lucky up.

"Ice Fang!" Tony shouted to his Pokemon. "Fall back and use Psybeam!"

Beating her wings fiercely, Lucky shot back just as the Gyarados' jaws snapped shut through the air she had been in mere moments ago. Her eyes suddenly sparked bright violet and blasted the monster right in between the eyes with a beam of psychokinetic energy. Gyarados roared in pain as Lucky landed yet another hit, bringing him one step closer to unconsciousness.

"Gyraaaaaagh!" the Gyarados roared angrily.

"Man, he's mad..." Tony said with a wince. Maybe this hadn't been such a great idea, but it sure beat training with much weaker Patrats and Lillipups, Normal-type Pokemon that could be found in low levels around Route 1. Tony didn't like to fight weaker foes; it made him feel like a bully. So, he sought the strongest foe he could find and he had found him.

_Well_, he decided, _I've already ticked him off... Might as well finish the fight_. "Alright, Lucky! Time to wrap it up! You ready?"

Lucky gave a fierce nod. "Freeh!" she agreed, knowing what it was time for.

"Alright, let's try our new combo!" Tony ordered, locking eyes with the enraged Gyarados.

Lucky tensed herself, wriggling her tiny blue fingers in anticipation. The Gyarados was glaring hard at her trainer, waiting for him to give the order to attack before making a move.

Tony gave the order. "Quiver Dance!"

Lucky's body went from tense to lucid in less than a second. With a relaxed sigh she twisted in midair, performing an impressive back-flip with a (bring in the Peppy) barrel roll for good measure. The Gyarados stared, confused with the much smaller Pokemon's actions, completely unaware that Quiver Dance, a Bug-type move, was used to greatly increase the special attack, special defense and speed of the user.

Lucky finally came to a halt, her eyes glowing with power. The poor Gyarados had just sat there and let her power herself up. _He'll regret that.._. she promised herself.

Tony's eyes flashed. "Psybeam!"

An amazing crackle of mental energy filled the air as Lucky fired a colossal burst of power from her eyes, blasting Gyarados right in the chest. The Psybeam was now more of a Psyblast (patented, Tony Miller), much wider and more powerful than usual. Tony could practically feel the energy behind the attack himself from where he stood.

Gyarados screamed in pain as he toppled over, the attack taking its toll. It splashed into the brine, kicking up a few waves as it sunk into unconsciousness.

"Got him!" Tony cheered. "You did fantastic, Lucky!" he told his Butterfree.

Lucky was panting heavily from the taxing attack, but nevertheless was delighted to hear any sort of compliment from her beloved trainer. With a happy cry, she swooped down and plopped into Tony's arms, grinning happily as she basked in the glow of Tony's compliments. "Freeh..." she cooed happily.

A bubbling growl churned in the water as the Gyarados poked his head out. Tony and Lucky froze, fully expecting that Lucky was gonna have to lay the smack-down again. However, the Gyarados simply spat out the shattered remains of Tony's bamboo fishing rod. With that, eager to avoid another Psyblast, he sank into the depths with a snort, feeling very sheepish about having his tail handed to him by a Butterfree of all things...

"Thanks!" Tony called. "You can keep the cheese!"

"Freeh!" agreed Lucky, waving goodbye.

If Gyarados had been warm-blooded he would have blushed._ Pitiful.._. he thought unhappily.

The Atrocious Pokemon's view of his loss was a logical one; if Tony had told anyone back in the Kanto Region, his and Lucky's homeland, that he had beaten a Gyarados with only a Butterfree, he would have been laughed out of town. Butterfree, along with most Bug-type Pokemon, were considered by many "serious" and "ace" trainers to be in the bottom tier of effective choices for trainers, far, far below fan-favorites such as the incredibly powerful Dragon-type Pokemon or the blazing Fire-type Pokemon. Still, Tony made friends with and trained with the Pokemon he loved most, and there were few things on the planet that he loved more than Bug-type Pokemon.

Tony grinned widely as he and Lucky collected their things (minus the destroyed fishing rod) before making their way back to their new hometown of Nuvema Town. It had been weeks since he had felt so excited. They had beaten a Gyarados - a ferocious, beast of a Pokemon - like it was nothing at all! After all the hard training he and all of his Pokemon had gone through, he was finally ready!

Tomorrow, he decided, he would leave home and head to Nimbasa City. There, he would face his next Gym Leader - and reunite with his best human friend, the beauti... eh, the friendly Skyla Fuuro, former Gym Leader of Mistralton City.

The promise of seeing his good friend and former travelling companion put a spring in Tony's step. Whistling happily, he made his way to the Juniper Pokemon Laboratory.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Ahh… It's good to be back… Not that I was really gone or anything… You know how it is. I'm glad to be writing for you guys again. I'm also incredibly grateful for the ridiculous amount of reviews I got for the first chapter alone! Holy cow, guys, you rock! :D**

**In all seriousness, this chapter took three attempts to write. The first two just didn't click. I like this one, but I do have a sinking feeling that I could do better... What do you think? **

**Well, for those of you who've read the first story, you know what times it is! For those who do not, it's Reader Question Time! I ask a question and you give me an answer after you review! **

**So, Reader Question Time! What are you looking forward to the most in this story? I want to know what you guys think will happen! Be sure to shoot me an answer!**

**Thanks for coming back and reading this! I wouldn't be half the writer I am now without you guys. Please keep reading and reviewing!**


	3. The Training Ends!

**Last time, on Unova Grand Tour...**

**We caught up with our heroes Tony and Lucky by the beach on Unova Route 1, where the two were fishing for a worthy opponent to test their new techniques on, powerful new moves that they learned while training with Pokemon Professor Juniper. Despite Gyarados' massive size, Lucky handled him with ease and sent him packing after a brutal attack! With their training now complete, Tony feels the time is at hand for him to leave Nuvema Town once more and head to Nimbasa City, where he will win his next Gym Badge and reunite with his friend Skyla!**

**What will happen next? Find out now! **

* * *

"Okay, seriously, kid. Did you not read the note I put in the Pokedex? I specifically told you not to go anywhere near a Pokemon with a threat level now!"

If there was one thing Tony hated it was a scolding. Sadly, his completely-deserved reputation as a danger magnet constantly landed him under the unhappy gaze of his superiors. It was bad enough when his Aunt Sally did it, but when Professor Aurea Juniper was the one giving him a tongue-lashing he couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.

"Sorry," Tony said meekly.

"You'd better be," said Professor Juniper as she folded her arms and leaned back into her coach. Professor Juniper, Aurea to those closest to her, was a beautiful woman just entering her thirties, with cream-colored skin, well-kept short brown hair and a pair of shimmering green eyes. Like most Pokemon Professors, she showed a visible fondness for big white lab-coats, which she wore over her green blouse and skirt, even when off-duty. She was eccentric, quirky, intelligent and prided herself on her keen eye for potential in Pokemon Trainers.

One such trainer who was oozing with potential was Tony, who Juniper had met nearly half a year ago. Thanks to Juniper's interest in Tony, which stemmed from a rather controversial event in which Tony foolishly tackled a huge Bird Pokemon called a Braviary and managed not to get his face torn clean off. Juniper had been sure that Tony could be a trainer with an incredible amount of skill, if only he could tap into his own hidden power. So, she managed to convince his extremely overprotective Aunt Sally to let him go on his journey. Deep down, Juniper had fully expected Tony to make it beyond the Gym Leaders and face the Unova League Champion for the title. She expected him to be gone for quite some time.

However, Tony was taking a break after about half a year of his Pokemon Journey. During this time, Juniper had been teaching him everything that she knew. She thought that it would keep Tony occupied during his stay. In reality, Tony and his team had managed to blast through everything she had to throw at them in just one week. A horrendous case of boredom would have set in had Juniper not ordered him to find worthy opponents to test the skills of the bug-catcher and his Bug-type friends.

So, you see, this was all Juniper's fault! Right? ...Right?

Yeah, Aunt Sally probably wouldn't buy it, either... Or maybe she would. It was hard to tell with her, sometimes...

Well, for better or worse, Tony was done with the grueling training that Juniper had prepared for him, blazing through it faster than Juniper had ever seen anyone get through it. The laps she made him and his Pokemon run for every failure probably helped discourage him from giving into fatigue during training. Now, with his training done, both professor and protege knew the time was come for him to leave the nest - eh, again.

The two were sitting in Professor Juniper's living room, sipping canned lemonade (Lucky loved lemonade) as Tony finished reporting his extremely risky training session with the Gyarados. "Picking fights with Pokemon like Gyarados is not something you should do just for training," Juniper scolded, popping open her second can. "Besides, it was a waste of perfectly good cheese!"

"Actually, it was that sliced stuff," Tony said distastefully. "You know, the ones in the little plastic baggies?"

"Oh..." Juniper chuckled, feigning disgust. "Well, that hardly constitutes as real cheese."

"But it worked!" Tony said happily. "And we won, too! He didn't stand a chance against us!"

"Freeh!" Lucky agreed in-between sips of her drink.

Juniper sighed. "Look," she explained, "I know that I told you to find more powerful opponents, but..." she grabbed her protege by the shoulders, looking absolutely mortified, "if you get yourself killed your aunt will _murder me_, so please stay safe...!"

Tony sweat-dropped. "Alright, alright!" he exclaimed. "No more attacking migrating Gyarados, I promise... Sheesh..."

Juniper gave a breath of relief. "Thank you," she said gratefully. When she had sent Tony on his Pokemon Journey, his Aunt Sally had made it perfectly clear to Juniper that if anything was to happen to Tony it would be Juniper who would be held responsible. Aunt Sally was insanely overprotective of her nephew, and had never quite forgiven Juniper for sending her beloved Tony into the dangerous world. Sure, both Juniper and Sally got along quite well with one another, but when it came to Tony, Sally could be downright scary, even to her loved ones.

Needless to say, Juniper didn't drink anything that Sally offered her.

"I'm sure there are less-dangerous Pokemon around here that you can train with," Juniper promised the bug-catcher.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Tony replied nonchalantly. "I'm leaving Nuvema Town again."

Juniper's eyes widened. "Already?" she asked, surprised. "You were here for only a month!"

Tony nodded. "I know," he said. "It's just..."

"Itchy legs?" Juniper asked.

"Eh?"

"You know... You just can't stand staying in one place for too long," Juniper explained. "You want to travel and see new places, right?"

Tony nodded with a grin. "Exactly!" he said. "That's that weird trainer wanderlust thing that Pappy keeps talking about!"

"Yeah, it is," Juniper said simply. "I shouldn't be surprised, I guess. I mean, even while you were in town you were wandering around everywhere with no rhyme or reason. So, when do you leave?"

"Tomorrow, if I can," Tony replied. "It's a long way back to Nimbasa City, but with all that running you made me do I'm sure I can manage."

"Why bother walking?" Juniper asked. "There's a train station in Accumula Town. You can just get a ticket to Nimbasa City there!"

Tony brightened. "Really?" he asked.

"The tickets are a bit pricey, but yes, really!" Juniper confirmed with a grin.

"Awesome!" Tony cheered. "You hear that Lucky? We don't have to walk to Nimbasa again to see Skyla!"

Lucky rolled her eyes. "Freeh..." she muttered, not looking forward to seeing Skyla again.

"You seem excited to see her again," Juniper commented.

Tony froze in the midst of his celebration, turning bright red. It was true that he and Skyla had gotten rather close during their travels together. Far closer than any relationship that Tony had formed with anyone outside of his family before. It was a little awkward, really; Tony never had much experience with girls who were around the same age as him. "Uh..." he stuttered, trying to think of something to say before this got really uncomfortable for him.

Unfortunately, Juniper smirked in a teasing way that seemed odd on the face of a mature woman. "I get what's going on, you sly dog..." she teased, taking _way_ too much interest in Tony's personal life.

"It's nothing like that!" Tony squeaked. "Really!"

Juniper chuckled. "Relax! I'm joking." She leaned back into her couch with a smirk. "I'm sure she misses you, too," she added, making Tony's face all the redder.

Tony swiftly changed the subject. "Y-yeah, well, I also need to beat, uh..."

"Elesa?" Juniper asked.

"Yeah, her," Tony confirmed, grateful that they had gone from one Gym Leader to another. "Uh... How much should a ticket to Nimbasa City cost, anyways? I'm not exactly rich or anything."

"It shouldn't be too pricey," Juniper replied. "Small Pokemon ride free, so you'll only have to pay for yourself."

"Great!" Tony cheered, feeling energized and excited. "Um, do me a favor and don't tell Skyla about it if she calls you. I want it to be a surprise."

"Sounds romantic."

"It is not!" Tony sighed, shaking his head. "She's been training really hard with Elesa in Nimbasa City... Last time I called her she looked really exhausted. I think she could use a nice surprise to perk her up."

"Sounds..." Tony winced as he prepared for Juniper to say "romantic" again, but she only said "very nice of you, Tony. You're a good friend."

Tony turned red. "I try," he said. "Well, I've got to get going now. I promised Auntie I'd actually be on time for dinner tonight without smelling like a corpse." He sniffed his sweat-soaked shirt and wrinkled his nose. "Better get going. Thanks for the lemonade! Come on, Lucky."

"Freeh."

"Thanks for dropping by!" Juniper called as Tony and Lucky made their way to the door. "Be sure to come see me before you leave, okay? I'd like to see you before you go!"

"I will! Thanks again"! Tony said politely. And with that, the boy and his Butterfree shut the door behind them and made their way home.

* * *

"Last stop! Nuvema Town, Unova!"

The door to the large, silvery bus slid open, depositing a single passenger to the side of the dusty road. The bus's motor roared as it drove off, leaving the blonde by the side of the road all alone.

A cynical look crossed her icy eyes as she scanned Nuvema Town. It was in the midst of a truly tranquil spring, with flowers blooming and bright green glass growing tall and proud. The calls of Bird Pokemon in the distance filled the air and echoed throughout the seaside hills.

She frowned. She wasn't used to all this... nature. She was a creature of the city, really, used to the shrieking of sirens and blaring of horns. This peacefulness was really kind of unsettling.

She shook it off and pulled out a piece of paper, which read: Miller Residence - 102 Nuvema Town. Shouldering her worn purse, she started walking.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Tony's preparing to go on his adventure once more! But who is this mysterious woman arriving on the bus, and why is she looking for the Miller residence? Tune in next time to find out!**

**No worries, everyone, Tony will be outta Nuvema Town in no time! The kid belongs out in the world, not cooped up in a cramped, albeit extremely lovely, house. He just needs to say goodbye to his family before he gets his train ticket. **

**Reader Question Time! What sort of adventures do you think await Tony on the train ride to Nimbasa City? Answer after you review! **


	4. Reunion

**Last time on Unova Grand Tour...**

**Tony met with mentor Professor Juniper at her lab and revealed that he was planning on leaving Nuvema Town once more to continue his journey in Nimbasa City with his close friend Skyla. Meanwhile, a mysterious woman arrived in Nuvema Town, searching for the Miller household...**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

The Miller household was a cheery, simple home for a happy family. A fortress of love and affection, where tears were dried and sorrows forgotten. The kitchen produced rich banquets fit for royalty. The beds were always soft and the pillows fluffed. It was, in short, the perfect family home.

Behind every perfect home was a hardworking homemaker with a passion for seeing both residents and guests were made perfectly comfortable. Sally Miller was one such homemaker. A young woman in her mid-thirties, the bane of extremist feminists everywhere with a fierce love of cooking, organizing and house-wiving in general. She was a woman who found no greater joy in her life than ensuring her entire family was satisfied. Of course, with that doting persona came a fierce temper, a need for honesty and an unhealthy sense of paranoia.

However, all of Sally's troubles were forgotten that evening. The sun was setting after a beautiful day of clear skies and fresh breezes and she was in her pretty kitchen, happily working on a fresh batch of traditional Kantonian riceballs. Tonight, she and her beloved adopted nephew Tony would be dining together. He had been home, safe and sound, for months now, along with his Uncle Bradley, Sally's husband, an archaeologist who was at work in the distant Nacrene City that evening, examining a few fossils in the Nacrene Museum.

Sally hummed happily as she kneaded the rice into the perfect shape with her careful hands. When they were finished, she placed them on a serving dish and quickly deposited it with the rest of their traditional Kantonian meal, set neatly on the oak dining room table. She was just about to wash her hands when the doorbell rang.

Sally raised an eyebrow. _Who could that be?_ she wondered. Taking off her pink apron, she quickly made her way to the door. "Coming!" she called, hurrying down the hallway to the door. She unlocked the locks and swung the door open, revealing the unexpected visitor.

Sally's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. Slowly, a vengeful glare and a fierce scowl crossed her pretty face as it twisted in anger. "_You_!"

* * *

"Auntie, I'm home!" Tony called as he opened the door and gently shut it behind him and Lucky.

"Why on earth did you come here?!" a voice that Tony swiftly recognized as his aunt's shrieked from the kitchen, filled with anger. Tony turned as white as a ghost and Lucky shrunk back. Neither of them could remember a time that Aunt Sally had sounded so angry.

"A-Aunt Sally...?" Tony called meekly. "Did I do something wrong...?"

"T-Tony?! Y-you're home..." Sally's voice trailed off as a pair of footsteps came from the kitchen. "Where do you think you're...?!"

A familiar face walked into the hallway: a short woman, barely a few inches taller than Tony (who wasn't very tall himself) with long, wavy blonde hair that hung down to her lower waist, and a pair of light blue eyes. Her clothing consisted of a simple red blouse, which had been neatly ironed, and a blue, jean skirt. The woman looked odd in such cheap clothing; Tony couldn't remember a time where she had worn a piece of clothing that looked like it cost more than a hundred yen.

Of course, Tony recognized her. Lucky recognized her too, and began growling quietly at the sight of the woman. "M-mom..." Tony stuttered, surprised.

"Antonio," said Anna Maruko with a nod.

One month ago, seeing Anna would have put Tony in a practically comatose state of depression. Anna Maruko was Tony's biological mother, the former mega-tycoon of the Kanto region who had abandoned him in Pallet Town, Kanto, with his aunt and uncle when he was only a boy. That was nine years ago, and Tony could still remember the day as clear as crystal in his mind. It had been, hands down, the worst day of his entire life, a day that had mentally scarred him for years. When it had first happened, he practically turned to stone, never speaking or eating or moving, just sitting by the window and staring out, waiting, praying for his mother to come back and say that she loved him and that she was sorry.

It had been a life-changing moment in Tony's life, for better or for worse. Anna had mentally traumatized him and abused him. She had been a recurring theme in his nightmares for almost a decade now. _So why,_ Aunt Sally thought miserably as she followed Anna into the holiday, _did Tony forgive her?!_

About a month ago (back when everything exciting was happening...) Tony had confronted a Team Plasma member by the name of Lady Frost, a so-called "Plasma Knight" and defeated her in combat... sort of. The thing is, Lady Frost had had a mental breakdown in the middle of the fight. Tony quickly discovered that she was being controlled by a Hypnosis attack and managed to help drive off the Ghost-type Pokemon who was controlling her. As it so happens, Frost was indeed Anna Maruko, being controlled by Team Plasma, the criminal Pokemon Liberation cultists.

Of course, Tony had been terrified to confront his mother again. However, he gathered his courage and did just that, and to his surprise Anna claimed that she wasn't any happier about abandoning him in Pallet Town than he was, and that she had done it for their mutual benefit. Much to the surprise of everyone, Tony and Anna actually reconciled their differences; Anna apologized and everything. The two even hugged one another.

It was bizarre. Tony had always been a forgiving sort of fellow but this was ridiculous. After all, Anna hadn't mildly inconvenienced him or hurt his feelings; she had traumatized him. He literally needed therapy as a child because of this. By all accounts, Tony should not have accepted the apology at all.

Truth be told, Sally might have preferred it that way...

"What are you doing here?" Tony finally asked his mother.

"I had the weekend off and I decided to visit you," Anna replied.

"But don't you live in Castelia City?" Tony asked. He had walked to Castelia City during the first part of his journey and he knew just how far away it was.

"I took a bus," Anna said simply. Mercifully, she left out the part that she had spent most of the journey next to a mother and her screaming two-year old daughter who had spent the majority of the trip wailing unhappily. Also, she had been on that bus for about ten hours. Bliss.

"Oh..." A slow smile crossed Tony's mouth. "Thanks for coming!" he said, bowing slightly. "It's nice to see you."

Anna smiled, wincing a little as she did so. She wasn't used to all of this... lovey-doveyness. "It's nice to see you, too," she said as politely as she could muster. Manners had never been her strong point, either. Even when she was in business she usually sent underlings to handle matters that required proper behavior.

Sally's left eye twitched. As much as she loved family reunions, she couldn't stand her sister. "I-it's nice of you to visit, Anna," she said through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the fact that she had been screaming at her elder sibling mere moments ago. "But today is not a very good time..."

"Is that so?" Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tony blinked. "It isn't?"

Sally froze, turning pale. _Think of a lie, think of a lie..._ she thought quickly as mother and son stared wordlessly at her, sweat-dropping. "W-well..." Sally tapped her index fingers together. "It's... Uh... Tonight was going to be a special night. Just me and Tony. An aunt and nephew dinner! Yeah, that's it..."

"Oh..." A flash of disappointment crossed Anna's face, combined with a tinge of anger. Anna had told enough lies in her lifetime to know a badly veiled one when she saw it. "I won't be long," she assured her irate younger sibling.

"Auntie, can't she stay for dinner?" Tony asked innocently.

Sally winced. "U-uh..."

"We can't just turn her out..." Tony argued. "That wouldn't be very hospitable."

Sally sighed. _Why did I have to be such a good teacher when it came to manners?!_ she mentally lamented. "W-well, far be it from me to turn away a hungry guest!" she said, turning away and folding her arms. "Anna, would you like to..." she almost choked on the words, "join us... for dinner?" she managed to finish.

"I'd love to," Anna said, barely able to contain her enthusiasm. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. "You'd better take a shower first," she said, turning to her son. "You smell terrible."

"Anna!" Sally all-but shrieked.

Tony didn't take any offense. "Sorry," he said. "Lucky and I were out all day training hard. I'll run upstairs and shower real quickly. Uh, Lucky, introduce mom to the others, okay?"

"F-freeh?!" Lucky stuttered, being no fonder of Anna than Sally was.

"They're out back!" Tony called, hurrying up the steps. "I'll be done as quickly as I can!"

"Y-you do that," Sally called back.

Both Sally and Lucky turned their gazes to Anna, who in turn stared back. All eyes turned icy and hard.

"Lucky," Sally told the hovering Bug/Flying-type, "take Anna to the backyard and... introduce her to Tony's friends. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Freeh," Lucky said with a nod before flitting off, not bothering to make sure that Anna was following.

"Have fun," Sally told her sister coldly. "Be careful around Clover; she can be... hostile sometimes." Without another word, she returned to the kitchen.

"Alright then. Which one is Clover?" Anna asked.

Sally didn't answer. Anna shook her head. _Immature as always,_ she thought, throwing back her hair. Without another word to her sister, she made her way to the backyard.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**First things first: NEW AVATAR FTW!**

**It's fun to stay at the Omastar, Mankey, Weepinbell and Alakazam? What sense does THAT make?! (Looks at their poses.) Oh. Oh...**

**Second things second: Anna's back, and boy is it weird to see her almost being sort of kind of nice to people. It almost seems OOC, doesn't it?**

**Hey, anyone else kind of get a Spider-Man vibe from Tony and Anna? I mean, rich tycoon parent who emotionally abused her child and became a super-villain? Bizarre...**

**Jeez, Sally sure can hold a grudge, can't she? Methinks there might be a cat-fight (Meowth-fight, Purrloin-fight, whatever...) in our future.**

**Anyways, Reader Question Time! The new Super Smash Bros. is on the way! What are you looking forward to the most?**

**...Okay, let's be honest here: it's freaking Mega Man.**


	5. An Awkward Evening

**Last time, on Unova Grand Tour...**

**Tony and Lucky arrived home to discover that his mother, Anna Maruko, had decided to pay a visit. Though Anna's past is checkered at best and she is not on good terms with Aunt Sally or Lucky, Tony welcomed her into their home and managed to get her invited to dinner. Our hero ran off to take a quick shower while Aunt Sally sent Anna out into the backyard to meet Tony's Pokemon.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Anna wasn't used to being glared at.

Being a mega-tycoon, former though she may be, Anna was used to either instilling inspiration to aspiring business-folks or instilling incompetent work staff with fear. So, she was either receiving gazes of appreciation or terror. She had only received glares from her former stepdaughter, and that had been a while ago.

But this was something else. This... thing...

It was a Pokemon, round and yellow in shape with a green, leafy cloak wrapped around her body by unseen arms. By all means, it seemed innocent and charming at first... but then you saw its face. The creature's face was frozen in this permanent, hateful scowl and glare. Anna would have avoided the creature if she could, but it was sitting on the picnic table, her fearsome eyes locked with Anna's.

Anna winced. She had a feeling that this was the Clover that Sally had warned her about. She recognized the beast as a Swadloon, a Bug/Grass-type Pokemon who could produce valuable silk (Anna usually only took interest in Pokemon when they served an economical purpose). Given Tony's love of Bug-types, it made sense that her son would have caught one. But how did he put up with... that face?

Anna suppressed a shiver. She turned her attention to Sally's beautiful backyard. Even though the tranquility was unsettling for her, she had to admit that Sally did a good job with agriculture, likely a result of her time in Pallet Town. The flowerbeds were flooded with bright roses, daisies, daffodils, irises and, oddly enough, a cactus. A small pond was near the rear of the yard, a tiny, minnow-like Pokemon called a Tynamo happily darting about in the water.

Unfortunately, Anna quickly forgot the serene scenery when she saw three more glares coming in her direction: three more of Tony's Bug-type Pokemon. She only recognized Lucky and her species, as the other two were completely foreign to her. One was a small, bluish beetle-like creature with a single, spiked horn on his head and a black face. It had two stubby arms that were folded adorably across his tiny chest as he glared at Anna, not bothering to hide his snarl. Thankfully, he looked rather restrained, and didn't seem like the type who would attack her.

The second did not look nearly as restrained as the beetle. This one was some bizarre combination of a cocoon and a tire, a rolled-up centipede-like creature with eyes in the center of its wheel-shaped body. It was lavender in color, with bright magenta spots and long, sharpened spikes sticking out of its carapace, dripping with venom. Anna made a mental note to stay far, far away from that one.

Evidently, Lucky had informed Tony's other Pokemon of Anna's past... transgressions...

Sally slid open the back door and unceremoniously placed a cup of steaming tea on the table. "Tea," she snapped before walking back inside.

Anna looked down at the frothing mug. She sniffed it, not recognizing the brew. With a trembling hand, she took the cup and quickly dumped its contents into the grass before swiftly replacing it onto the table and acting as if nothing had ever happened. _Not risking it..._ she thought.

Clover's glare never softened. Anna simply sat there, and pretended that the Swadloon wasn't there.

* * *

Tony mercifully shot through the shower and quickly joined his mother outside, wearing his pajamas, consisting of a white t-shirt and blue shorts. His hair was still glistening with water as he stepped outside, carrying a tray covered with six bowls of Pokemon food. "Hi," he greeted quietly as he slid the door shut with his foot.

"Hello," Anna said in a whisper.

Tony swiftly placed a bowl in front of the still scowling Clover. "Here you go," he said in as friendly a tone as he dared. Clover was the only Pokemon present who had a low opinion of Tony and she was not afraid to show it. "Is Clover bothering you?" he asked Anna.

"No," Anna lied. "I'm fine. She seems... quite the character."

"Swad," Clover muttered in-between bites of her dinner.

"Soups on, everyone!" Tony called to the other Pokemon. Lucky and the beetle quickly ran over to their trainer, happily digging into their meals the moment he set them down. The wheel-like Pokemon rolled over, although he evidently was incapable of ingesting food.

Two more Bug-types popped out of the shrubbery. The first was one Anna recognized due to its rarity - and high price on the collector's market. It was a Larvesta, a Bug/Fire-type - the only Bug/Fire-type, to Anna's knowledge - and one of the rarest Pokemon in the world. It was a large, caterpillar-like beast with white fluff all over her body, a pair of sapphire eyes and five orange horns growing out of her head, occasionally radiating with a faint heat. She chittered adorably as she crawled over to Tony, allowing him to pet her fluffy fur.

Anna raised an eyebrow, wondering if Tony knew just how much he could make with that little... She shook her head, gritting her teeth. That kind of attitude had gotten her into trouble in the past, and it was Tony who had technically saved her. She couldn't think like that...

Still...

_Darn it all..._ Anna mentally swore. _Why didn't anyone tell me being poor again would be so hard?!_

The second Pokemon was more crab-like than bug-like. It had an orange exoskeleton covering its body and tiny pincers, with tiny black eyes mounted on stalks on her head and a smug, self-confident-looking grin on her face. However, what really caught Anna's attention was the artificial shell on the creature's back: it was a marble bust of a woman's head, with distant looking eyes and well-groomed hair, carved by a master mason.

_That statue..._ Anna stared hard at the approaching Pokemon. She remembered faintly that when she under the control of Team Plasma that they had forced her to build them a palace in the middle of the desert that covered Unova Route 4 under the cover that she was building a resort. It wasn't very good cover, granted; only a moron would build a vacation resort in the middle of a desert.

While she had been supervising the construction, she had ordered a statue of some woman from Unovan mythology that she could care less about to be built just outside the resort. She later learned that the statue was missing its head; it had been pulled clean off by some sort of Pokemon. The workers said it had been something called a "Dwebble." Anna supposed that this was one such creature.

She felt a tinge of irritation with the creature on principle. In reality, she couldn't care less about what happened to that statue.

Tony interrupted her thoughts, asking "So, did you meet everyone yet?"

Anna blinked. "Uh... I don't believe I have," she said, regaining her composure.

Tony grinned, eagerly getting to the introductions of both the Pokemon's names and their species. Being a Bug-type maniac, he was always happy to share what he knew with others, and he rarely got asked to do so. "Well, this is Sunny," he said, petting the crooning Larvesta. "She's a Larvesta. I caught her after I saved her from some Rufflet and a Braviary. She's kind of a baby."

"Vrr!" chirped Sunny happily.

"This is Lancelot." Tony pointed to the bluish beetle. "He's a Karrablast. I caught him around Striaton City."

Lancelot cast an unpleasant look at Anna again before resuming his meal. "Karra."

"This is Strike," Tony said as the large, wheel-like Pokemon rolled over. "He's a Whirlipede. I caught him in the Pinwheel Forest."

"Whirl," Strike greeted, more for Tony than for Anna.

"This is Rock Candy," Tony said, pointing to the Dwebble, who was inching over to Strike with an almost flirtatious-looking grin. "I caught her in Nimbasa City. You already know Lucky and you've met Clover already, so that about covers it!"

"I see..." Anna straightened her posture. "It's... very nice to meet you all," she said.

None of the Pokemon made a sound to great her back, either because they knew just what she had done to Tony or because their mouths were full.

"Guys, be nice!" Tony said sternly.

A chorus of forced greetings to Anna briefly filled the air before the hungry Bug-types returned to their meal, save for Clover who didn't give a darn.

Tony sweat-dropped. "See? They really like you."

Anna stood up. "No they don't."

The backdoor slid open. "Tony... Anna, it's time for dinner," Sally called.

Anna ran inside with amazing speed, Clover's icy glare finally taking effect on her. Tony sweat-dropped again. "I... guess she's really hungry, eh?" he asked Clover.

Clover rolled her eyes and kept eating.

* * *

Anna's fear of her sister poisoning her was quickly forgotten when she saw the delicious spread that was sitting on the dining room table. Anna had always been a decent cook since they were kids but this was just amazing. Heck, Anna had been to five- and six-star restaurants before and the stuff in those places paled in comparison to this heavenly aroma.

All of her favorites were there; rice-balls (not jelly donuts), curry on fried rice with sliced leeks, miso soup with sliced boil eggs floating like islands of yellow and white, homemade ramen (Anna didn't know that such a thing existed!) and even vegetable dumplings. It was like being in Kanto again. "Real food..." Anna whispered, trying hard not to lick her chops.

"Aunt Sally makes the best food," Tony said as they took their seats.

"Thank you, Tony," Sally said sweetly.

Anna got straight to it. She picked up her chopsticks and quickly retrieved a rice-ball from the tray. Her arms moved in a flash as she piled rice onto her plate and filled the tiny bowl by the side of her plate with miso soup. Anna was about to dig into her food when she realized that neither Tony or Sally had made a move to serve themselves.

Aunt and nephew had their hands folded and their heads bowed. Their eyes were closed as they silently muttered prayers. Anna froze; they were actually praying before dinner. She winced, unable to remember the last time she had prayed... Heck, she couldn't remember every praying before in her entire life.

Not wanting to provoke any more uncomfortable glares, Anna folded her hands and bowed her head as well, wondering how long the Millers prayed for before dinner. She didn't have to wait long, as Tony and Sally suddenly chorused "Thank you for the food!" to whoever they were praying to.

"Thank you for the food," Anna said, not even close being in unison with the others. Then, not caring if she seemed rude, she dug into her meal.

The awkward evening and evil eyes aside, Anna couldn't remember ever having a better meal.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hah! I knew I'd get to make an Usagi Drop reference eventually! Muahaha!**

**Poor Anna... Good thing Anna isn't keeping any Ratatta Poison in the drawer.**

**Sorry this update was late; I went bowling with some friends and got indigestion. Why the heck do I still eat the food at bowling alleys...?**

**Reader Question Time: Which Pokemon game is your favorite? I wish I could tell you, but I haven't played many of them... Answer after you review! :D**


	6. Auntie's Blessing

**Last time on Unova Grand Tour...**

**Anna joined the Millers for dinner and quickly found herself in a rather hostile environment. Tony was the only one who tried to be hospitable to Anna, his Pokemon and his Aunt Sally all showing open aggression towards the former mega-tycoon. Thankfully, dinner began and all of Anna's worries vanished when she saw the delicious meal that her sister had prepared for them.  
**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

The evening went relatively well, all things considered. And by that I mean, Sally and Anna didn't murder one another. There were plenty of glares thrown around but no blood was shed.

That's not to say they didn't come close.

Tony sweat-dropped, freezing in-between sips of his miso soup. Aunt Sally and Anna's eyes were locked, and he could practically see lightning flashing between their faces as they glared at one another. Both women's hands were poised above the last rice-ball, the fingers occasionally twitching angrily.

"My hand was here first," Anna told her sister in a low tone.

"My house," Sally reminded her. "My cooking. My food."

"I'm the guest," Anna retorted.

Sally pouted. "Fine," she muttered, retracting her hand and allowing her sister the final rice-ball. Anna eagerly snatched it up and scarfed it down as quickly as good table manners allowed.

"So, Mom, what are you up to now?" Tony asked, hoping to stop any more stare-downs and arguments.

"Uh..." Anna turned a little red. "I'm in... Merchandising."

"Merchandising?" Sally asked.

"Yes, merchandising..." Anna lied, far too proud to admit what she was really doing. "That's it..."

* * *

_Flashback..._

* * *

Anna sighed miserably for about the tenth time that day as she scooped yet another cone full of frozen yogurt. I hate this job, I hate this job, I hate this job... was the only thing running through her mind as she handed the cone to the snot-nosed little brat. "Here you go..." she droned mindlessly.

The little girl pouted. "I wanted sprinkles!" she shrieked.

Anna's eyes twitched. "And I want a manicure and a meal that doesn't come in a cardboard box," she snapped at the child. "Life's so unfair, isn't it?"

"Anna..."

Anna froze at the voice of her manager (somehow mobile ice cream booths needed managers). "Y-yes, sir?" she asked, turning to face her boss.

Her manager folded her arms. "Always smile at the customers," he scolded.

Anna tried hard to smile; a little too hard, in fact. Her manager winced. "Uh... Forget about the smile and give the girl her sprinkles."

"Yes, sir..." Anna droned.

* * *

_End Flashback..._

* * *

Anna shivered. "It's a... low-level job now, but I have a feeling I'm in line for a promotion," she lied.

"Good for you," Tony said. "Just don't get too wrapped in your job again, okay?"

"Oh, believe me," Anna said, "I won't."

Sally made a face but mercifully said nothing at all.

"You're working in Castelia City, right?" Tony asked. "Maybe I can drop by your place when I start my journey again, if you don't mind." Tony's eyes flashed as he remembered what he needed to tell his Aunt Sally. "Oh, Auntie! That reminds me. I want to start my journey again tomorrow, if you don't mind."

Sally nearly choked on her ramen. "A-already?!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, why not?" Tony asked.

Sally nearly fell over by the ignorance of her nephew. She had been the one who had insisted that he end his journey temporarily after a certain... incident with Team Plasma. And by incident I mean, Tony was currently pretty high up on Team Plasma's blacklist, having aided in foiling several Plasma Operations, including the infamous Nimbasa City invasion from the month before. After Tony had aided in fighting off the invading Plasma hordes, Aunt Sally had begged him to come home briefly until any escaped Plasmas could be rounded up and incarcerated.

Of course, it wasn't just Tony's flippancy but also Sally's paranoia. Several dozen Plasma operatives had been captured in the one month that Tony had been home, all of them swiftly tried and sent to prison for their misdemeanors. Despite this, Sally didn't feel quite safe yet in letting her beloved nephew, her son-figure, loose into the cold, harsh world again.

Anna, however, saw no problem. "It's not a bad idea," she said, scooping another ladle full of miso soup. "Go ahead and do it."

"A-Anna?!" Sally exclaimed. "W-who gave you the right to tell Tony what he can and can't do!"

"Auntie..."

"I'm his mother, Sally, in case you've forgotten... Slurp! Mmm..."

"Some mother you are! You abandoned your son and haven't visited him for nine years!"

"Auntie..."

"Thank... Gulp! Pass the ramen... As I was saying, thank you, Sally, I almost forgot that I did that... That's what I would have said if I didn't regret what I did every day of my entire life!"

"As if! If you really regretted it you'd never have done it in the first place!"

"Oh, and whose fault is that really, Sally? Hmm?"

"H-how dare you?! You... you witch!"

"Auntie! Mom! Stop it!"

Tony slammed his hands on the table, demanding a moment of silence from his mother and aunt. "I'm going on my journey again," he said, "and that's final."

Aunt Sally looked heartbroken. "Tony..."

"I can't be dead-weight any longer," Tony declared. "Aunt Sally, you're pregnant, remember? You're going to have another kid to take care of - a real kid of your own! Uncle Brad is working hard to pay for the three of us to eat. Imagine having four of us living here. I'm a Pokemon Trainer now! I can take care of myself! Pokemon Centers offer free food and shelter for trainers, right?"

Anna nodded once. "Waste of taxpayers' money. They could at least charge a meager fee." She shrugged and began to shovel fried rice into her mouth, surprising nonchalant about everything.

"I can't stay here forever," Tony continued. "I need to travel again. I'm going stir-crazy just sitting around here. I want to go exploring again... So I'm going. Besides, you're the one who said it would only be a temporary break, right?"

"He has a point."

"Shut up, Anna." Sally sighed. "Tony, I know what I said, but I think it's just a little too early..."

"It's been a whole month!" Tony exclaimed as if one month was one century. "If I wait too long my skills will start to dull!"

"Again, he makes a point," Anna repeated.

Sally nearly threw her plate at Anna's head. "Tony..."

Tony swallowed. He knew that Auntie couldn't stop him from leaving. He was a Pokemon Trainer; legally, he was allowed to travel as long as his license was valid. He wasn't asking for permission, but for a blessing. He couldn't leave home in good conscience without Aunt Sally's consent.

Sally sighed. She knew this day had been coming, but she hadn't meant for it to come so soon. "Fine..." She nodded. "Alright, you can go."

"Yes!" Tony cheered. "Thanks, Auntie!" He leaped up and ran around the table, kissing his aunt on the cheek.

"You're welcome." Sally sighed, shaking off her paranoia and standing up. "Well, the foods all gone (thank you, Anna...) so I guess it's time for desert!" She forced a cheery smile, despite her worries and fears.

"Yes, please," Anna said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

Sally's left eye twitched again. "Tony, could you help me clear the table? I'll get the cake."

"Yes, Auntie!" Tony said, happily helping his aunt clear the table and set out the tea cups for desert.

* * *

Tony took a deep breath and let it out. The evening air smelled particularly great that evening. Maybe it was just how great he felt at the moment.

Finally... He was out of here. He was finally out of Nuvema Town!

A huge grin split across Tony's face as he paced around the backyard in silence. The sun had set and the night was upon him. When the sun rose it was goodbye to Nuvema Town and hello to the rest of the world.

All he had to do was call the train station and reserve a ticket for a train to Nimbasa City. Thankfully, this wouldn't be too difficult for Tony, though he didn't know it. After all, with the Plasma Invasion of Nimbasa City still fresh on their minds it was unlikely that many tourists would be visiting Nimbasa anytime soon.

"Freeh?" Lucky landed on her trainer's head with a curious chirp.

"We're going tomorrow, Lucky," Tony said. "We're leaving tomorrow, guys!" he announced to the rest of his Pokemon. In return, he received a chorus of cheers. Nuvema Town was nice and all, but after coming so far and fighting so hard Tony's Pokemon wanted nothing more than to finish what they had started.

"I know you're all excited..." Tony paused and looked at the ever-morose Clover. "Eh, I know _most of you_ are excited and that's good! If we're ever going to make it to the Unova League, we're going to need to really work hard and do our best. I can't do that alone, so I'm gonna need your help. Can I count on you all?"

"Freeh!"

"Vrr!"

"Whirl!"

"Karra!"

"Dweeb!"

"Awesome!" Tony grinned. "Alright, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big day!"

The Pokemon nodded and cheered. Tony gave a relieved smile and went inside, followed by Lucky, who was the only one of his Pokemon who slept inside. It was only eight p.m. but he wanted to get an early start in the morning.

That night, Tony slept well... until he was awakened by a battle that had been in the making for over twenty years now...

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well, that was an awkward dinner. I've had a few uncomfortable meals in my time, but nothing that bad.**

**HOLY CRAP MAWILE EVOLUTION! Or rather, Mawile... transformation? Mega Pokemon form? Super Saiyan 5, maybe? Eh, whatever. X and Y are gonna be _awesome~!_**

**Oh, by the way, be sure to read_ Sinnoh League Journey: The Ballad of Dante_ by Pokerus. It's pretty dang good! :D**

**Oh, right, Reader Question Time! If Tony's Journey was an anime, which anime opening theme would you want it to have? Personally, I love the opening theme to Princess Jellyfish (though it would be hard to put it to Tony's Journey) and also the second opening to Full Metal Alchemist. Which do you think would be best? And if it was a Pokemon anime opening which one would it be? Answer after you review!**

**Tune in next time for the Ultimate Cat-Fight!**


	7. Sibling Rivalry

**Last time, on Unova Grand Tour...**

**Tony announced to his mother and his Aunt Sally that he was going on his Pokemon Journey again. Though Anna was completely supportive and nonchalant about her son going out into the world, Aunt Sally was not exactly willing to let her beloved nephew out into the cold, harsh region again. Tony was not asking permission, however, citing the impending birth of Sally's own child and how they would need to provide for him or her when he or she was born. Aunt Sally, seeing as how Tony wanted more adventure in his life, reluctantly gave her nephew her blessing. In the morning, he'll be off into adventure once more!**

**What will happen next? Find out now! **

* * *

It wasn't the first time that Anna found herself staring at the ceiling in a horrible state of sleeplessness.

Sleeplessness was a regular demon on Anna's back. Sometimes it was brought by guilt, sometimes it was brought by the terror of bankruptcy and sometimes it was because Jerry, her roommate, closest friend and driver back in Castelia, was snoring. Either way, she couldn't stand it.

Tonight, however, she was sort of lost on why it was she was staring at the ceiling of the Miller guest room. In all honesty, this was the softest bed she had slept in in the longest time. Actually, it was the _only_ bed she had slept in in the longest time; back at her apartment she slept on the couch, and poor Jerry made his bed on the coffee table.

Regardless of sleeping arrangements back home in Castelia, Anna was still wide awake in her bed. It was midnight. She was completely comfortable and completely satisfied by the excellent meal but she still couldn't fall asleep.

As such, her thoughts turned to her past. Her first and second husbands, her sister and her son... Anna sighed as she wrapped herself into her blanket. Her life hadn't exactly gone the way she had thought it would have gone.

Well, no point whining about it. After all, she couldn't change the past, unless those weirdos who actually believed in that Time Travel Pokemon (Anna believed it was called Celery or something like that...) were right.

Still, despite all of her misdemeanors against him, her son had forgiven her. Anna had been genuinely surprised that day in Nimbasa City, when Tony finally confronted her after nine whole years of hating her only to tell her that he actually forgave her. He said that Anna's abandonment had actually made him stronger, and turned him into the person he was today.

Anna frowned, amazed by either the innocent or dumb naivety of her own flesh and blood. Tony had _forgiven_ her.

Believe it or not, both Anna and Sally had previous experience with abandonment. They had been abandoned by their own mother at a foster home when they were young... presumably. They had been left behind by the same woman, that much they knew, but neither had any idea if said woman was their actual mother. While the two thought of themselves as sisters and had believed that they were for years, it was entirely possible that they were cousins, half-sisters step-sisters or even completely unrelated to one another at all.

Anna scowled, remembering the unpleasant life in the foster-home that she and Sally had endured. Three meals a day served through a slot, no heating or cooling, sharing a bunk bed with six other girls and no formal education. The children, Sally and Anna included, far too often fell into bad crowds and into immoral habits like stealing and bullying. Bliss. All things considered, Anna was lucky to have turned out as well as she did; she shuddered at the thought of what the other boys and girls had become.

_So, why,_ Anna couldn't help but wonder, _did I leave behind my own son to suffer like I did?_ Well, Tony hadn't suffered exactly like Anna had. Tony had a loving family who raised him in a good home with a strong moral fiber. If Anna had raised him, who knows how badly he could have turned out? He could have become like her...

_Like me..._ Anna sighed, tossing in her bed. For all the high-and-might attitude she might have flung about in the past - and this evening as well - deep, deep down she knew she was a wretch.

But was she a wretch beyond all hope? That was the question.

Anna's throat suddenly felt very dry. She had a feeling that Sally wouldn't care all that much if she went downstairs for a drink. She pushed off her blankets, still clad in her day-clothes (she hadn't been planning on staying the night) and made her way downstairs as silently as she could.

She made her way to the kitchen, not bothering to turn on any of the lights, and quickly got a glass of water. She sipped it, quenching her thirst (for water at least) and momentarily putting her at peace as the cool liquid poured down her throat.

"You're up late."

Anna coughed, nearly dropping the glass as she spewed water all over her shirt. She whirled about to face the shadowy form of Sally, sitting at the dining room table. She was clad in her bathrobe and a long-cooled cup of coffee was in her hands. Even in the dark Anna could tell that her sister was glaring daggers at her.

"Why are you up?" Anna asked.

"I could ask you the same question," Sally retorted.

"I'm just getting a glass of water." Anna bitterly wiped her drink off of her shirt.

Sally nodded. "Not getting ready to leave, are you?" she asked.

Anna felt a tinge of anger tug at her heart. "Alright," she said, placing her glass in the sink. "I've had about enough of this. If you want to throw me out, throw me out. You've made no effort to hide that you hate me, so why not prove it?" Noting Sally's reluctance to reply, she went on: "We both know you won't do it. Because of Tony."

"Tony deserves better than you," Sally said bitterly.

"He does," Anna agreed with a nod.

"Then why did you bother to show up?" Sally asked.

"Because... He's my son," Anna sighed. "I may have hurt him... but I want to try and make things right, if I can."

"After everything you've done?" Sally asked. "After all the pain you've caused him? You put him through_ therapy_, Anna!" she hissed, trying hard to keep her voice down.

"And whose fault is that?" Anna retorted. "Don't tell me you've forgotten, Sally. You're the one who told me to leave that day. You're share some of the blame, too."

Sally stood up, nearly knocking her chair over. "How dare you..." she snarled. "This is deeper than you abandoning him, Anna. You treated him like dirt. You abused him - maybe not physically but verbally and emotionally. Leaving him behind was just one possible straw to break the Camrupt's back. You would have broken his heart anyways."

"You don't know that," Anna retorted.

"I do know that," Sally said, "because I know you, Anna. I know what you really are - and what you've always been! A selfish, greedy, self-serving _monster!_"

"Were you any different?" Anna asked coldly. "Like it or not we grew up in the same foster-home, raised by the same caretakers. We're two peas in a pod. We just turned out differently, in the end."

"I made friends," Sally hissed, "I learned from my mistakes. I married Bradley and have had a loving family with him. I know what I did when we were younger was wrong. You on the other hand took everything you learned from those days to heart."

"I did n..." Anna began.

"You destroyed other companies when you built Maruko Corp. You destroyed people's lives." Sally folded her arms. "How is that right?" she accused.

"That's business," Anna replied. "Competition couldn't be tolerated."

"And what about your second husband?" Sally asked coldly. "I heard all about it. You stole is Master Ball prototype, didn't you?"

Anna gritted her teeth; that was a very, very unpleasant memory. "That was a mistake," she said coldly. She really regretted that "mistake." Martin Silph had been a fine man and a loving husband.

"Mistake is a fine word to use for it," Sally scoffed. "You've had two husbands, and both of them left you. Heavens, you've never even told me what happened to Tony's father."

"His heart belonged to someone else," Anna replied. "It belonged to the world. It's funny. Tony reminds me a good deal of him."

"If he married you I highly doubt that," Sally replied.

Anna sighed, feeling incredibly exhausted. Well, at least she was tired now. The question was, did she feel safe in falling asleep here? "I'll be leaving in the morning," she told her sister. "I probably won't visit Tony here again, so you won't have to worry about seeing me again."

"Good." Sally folded her arms.

"But first I will be seeing my son off," Anna said. "And you cannot stop me."

"Fine," Sally sighed. "Do that."

Anna nodded. "Goodnight, Sally," she said, turning away from her sister and heading back to the guest room. "Oh, and... congratulations on your baby."

"Thank you." Sally didn't even look up to express her gratitude. "Goodnight."

* * *

Anna sunk into her bed, sighing again. Now she was sleepy. She had a headache, too. "Time to sleep," she whispered to herself, burying her head into her pillow.

There was a knock on the door. Anna winced and just managed not to growl. "Yes?"

The door creaked open to reveal Tony. "Mom?" he asked. "I heard you and Auntie arguing..."

Anna sighed. Either Tony had good hearing or she and Sally hadn't been as quiet as they had intended. The question was, how much had he heard? "It's nothing," she said dismissively. "Go back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked. "I mean, I know a lot's happened..."

"It's fine," Anna interrupted. "Sally... had something she needed to get off her chest. I deserved it, really." She put her head to her pillow again. "Go to sleep," she advised. "You have a big day tomorrow."

Tony nodded. "I will. Goodnight, Mom. Love you."

"I love you too, Antonio."

The door clicked as Tony shut it, and Anna fell asleep at once.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Satisfied, boys? That a big enough cat-fight for ya? **

**After you read and review this story, be sure to check out SCIFIWIZARDGUY's adaptation of _Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity_, simply titled _Gates to Infinity._ It's looking to be pretty darn good! :D**

**Reader Question Time! How do you feel about the Mega-Evolutions in Pokemon X and Y? Answer after you review!**

**That's it for now, everyone! Thanks for reading!**

**Oh, jeez, forgot to put this at the bottom...**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	8. The Train to Nimbasa City!

**Last time on Unova Grand Tour...**

**Anna, after lying sleepless in her bed and regretting her past, was confronted by Sally in the dead of night. The two sisters had a quiet but cold argument that had been brewing for years now. Thankfully, the fight ended without coming to blows and Anna was able to go back to bed, ensuring Sally she would never visit the Miller household again.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

The next day came and endowed Tony with a serious sense of deja-vu.

Here he was again, wide-eyed and eager, footloose and fancy-free, ready to jump into the world of adventures, hardships and discoveries. His first stop would be, once again, Nuvema Town's neighbor Accumula Town, where he would get on a train and ride all the way to Nimbasa City, tearing through the Unova countryside on a bullet train.

Okay, the bullet train part was completely new, but still, Tony couldn't help but feel nostalgic and excited. Even the normally uncomfortable weight of his loaded backpack on his shoulders felt good that morning, as he knew that the bag was loaded with Pokeballs, canned food, medicines and a tent, everything he'd need for a long journey.

Of course, with the happiness came a little sadness. Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. And today the parting would be especially hard.

Tony stood in front of Professor Juniper's laboratory, shuffling through his backpack to double-check that he had everything he needed. Aunt Sally was there, as was Anna, ready to give the boy a fond farewell.

Professor Juniper, as promised, arrived to see Tony off as well. "Good morning!" she called as she walked across her lawn to Tony and co. "Ready to go?"

"Just about..." Tony called back, counting his potions and antidotes.

Juniper quickly noticed the unfamiliar face of Anna. "Oh, hello," the Pokemon Professor greeted politely, with much more enthusiasm than Anna was willing to put up with this early in the morning without any coffee. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Aurea Juniper, Tony's mentor." She held out her hand to Anna.

Anna reluctantly shook it. "I'm Anna," she greeted, "Tony's mother."

Juniper's jaw went slack. "Y-you're alive?" she asked quietly.

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Who said I was dead?" she asked.

"Well, it's just..." Juniper turned red. "I've never seen you before and Tony's been living with his aunt and uncle... I sort of figured you were..." She chuckled nervously.

Anna rolled her eyes, releasing Juniper's hand. "I'm not dead," she said simply. "I just don't... visit often."

Mercifully, Sally decided not to mention the long, unhappy Maruko family history between Tony and his mother. She cast a quick venomous glare at her sister but kept it quick so that Juniper didn't see it.

"Well," Juniper said, turning her attention to Tony, "be sure to give your aunt and your mother a call every evening, okay?"

Tony nodded, shouldering his backpack. "I will!" he promised.

"Make sure to keep clean and healthy," Sally said, wrapping Tony into a hug and kissing his blushing face. "Don't overexert yourself - and stay out of trouble!" she said sternly.

"I won't... I mean, I will! I mean..." Tony turned bright red. "I'll stay safe," he said, returning the hug. He turned to Anna, expecting her to say something too.

Anna shrugged. "Do what she said," she ordered. Then, she slowly hugged her son, turning red as she did so. "Be safe and call me sometime."

"I will," Tony promised. "I'll miss you all." He broke the hug and broke into a run. "See you! Love you! I'll call when I get to Nimbasa City!" he cried as he charged over to Unova Route 1.

"Goodbye!" Sally called, wiping a tear from her eye.

Her bittersweet cries were carried through the wind as her beloved nephew shot across the grass, bolting across the green grass and stony paths before finally vanishing among the hills and tall grass.

"There he goes again..." Sally sniffled.

"Don't tell me you're actually going to start crying," Anna said dryly.

"Shut up, Anna! I saw that teardrop!"

"You saw no such thing!"

Juniper sweat-dropped and quickly beat a hasty retreat to her lab. Something told her that she knew all she wanted to know about the Miller Family.

* * *

The happy nostalgic feeling only continued as Tony's journey began anew.

The waving grass, golden sand and roving hills of Route 1 were all the more beautiful in the late spring/early summer, far more lovely than they had been in the dead of fall, which is when Tony first set off from Nuvema Town all those months ago. The weather couldn't possibly be finer that day, and the pleasant breeze and warm sun only seemed to make the couple mile hike to Accumula Town all the more enjoyable.

Finally, Accumula Town came into view. Accumula Town was the link from Nuvema Town to the more civilized, more industrious parts of Unova. Though it was a small city, with a population of just under five-thousand, it was still fairly large, holding within its borders hundreds of homes and spacious parks. It also had Tony's current goal: Accumula Bullet Station, which would take him to Nimbasa City, the Nimbasa City Gym and Skyla.

Sadly, Tony's memories of Accumula Town weren't quite as happy as his memories of Route 1 or Nuvema Town. It was in Accumula Town park where he had first met the Pokemon Liberation cultists called Team Plasma, their charismatic Arch-Sage Ghetsis and... N. N, the mysterious boy with the ability to actually understand what Pokemon were saying. N, the boy who had tried to befriend Tony. N, who turned out to be the king of Team Plasma.

Tony sighed as the sting of an old betrayal returned to haunt him. The Accumula Park seemed so tranquil and safe now. It was hard to believe that a group of terrorists had been there preaching about peace and equality not so long ago. As Tony walked down the roads he came across a spot in the sidewalk where the pavement had been replaced with newer cement, a grim reminder of Tony and N's first battle.

Team Plasma was gone now. That much Tony knew. N, however, hadn't been caught yet. The boy king had vanished shortly after his invasion had gone sour. He was still out there...

Tony shook his head, shaking the unpleasant thoughts away. The entirety of the Unova Police Force was on N's tail. They'd bring him in and get him the help that he needed. No need to worry about him and give himself some unnecessary angst.

Tony turned away from the park and kept moving. Distractions could wait until later. He had a train to catch.

* * *

"Here's your ticket, sir! Bullet Train NIM01 leaves at ten thirty sharp! Thank you for choosing Unova Inter-regional Railroad!"

The cheery ticket attendant handed Tony his ticket, complete with a Pokemon Trainer's discount, and quickly moved onto her next customer. Tony didn't waste any time pushing through the crowded train station, making sure to keep his hands in his pockets and clamped around his wallet, just in case of pickpockets.

He didn't waste any time getting to the platform. The train didn't leave for another fifteen minutes but Tony didn't want to risk being late.

Bullet Train NIM01 (Nimbasa 1) was a sleek, silvery train, missile-like in design with rectangular windows dotting the passenger cars. It was a twelve car long train, built to carry hundreds of passengers at insane speeds.

Thankfully for Tony's claustrophobia, the cars were relatively sparse with passengers. As mentioned previously, the Team Plasma Invasion of Nimbasa City had people feeling a bit skittish about travelling to the entertainment capitol of Unova.

Tony's curious eyes scanned the sleek engine, feeling a small tinge of disappointment that the train wasn't the typical steam engine that he had always fantasized about driving as a boy. _Bet it doesn't even have a whistle_, he thought, shaking his head. Oh well. No need get sad about the little things. After all, it was this sleek chariot that would be taking him to Nimbasa City!

Tony shouldered his backpack and ran to the nearest open car with a wide smile. He handed the conductor his ticket and got it checked out. Once ensured passage without being throw from the train for being a hobo, Tony stepped on-board.

The socially-awkward lad's wish was granted; the car he had chosen was completely unoccupied. Well, at least he thought it had been at first. He wasn't paying that much attention to who else was there.

The car was lined with several booths of green seats, lining up alongside a red carpet. Tony gave a surprised whistle. "I didn't know we got a first class ticket," he said to himself, inwardly worrying that some usher was going to show up and throw him off the train. He shook that off; after all, the conductor had let him on. No need to worry.

Tony checked his watch; five minutes till go time! Better get his Pokemon comfortable. "Come out, everyone," he called to his friends. Lucky, Sunny, Lancelot, Rock Candy, Clover and Strike all appeared in a flash, landing on the soft carpeting.

"Alright, everyone," Tony began, "we're on the train now. We'll be going soon so be sure to get comfortable. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior, okay?"

All of the Pokemon chorused their agreement, save for, of course, Clover, who crawled underneath one of the booth's tables to be alone in the darkness. She wasn't alone for long, as Sunny, being completely clueless to Clover's bad attitude, crawled underneath to join her. Lancelot, being one of the more domesticated Pokemon present (having had a trainer previous to Tony), chose a window-seat and made himself comfortable for the trip. Strike rolled up onto the seat across from Lancelot. Being the only other male in the group, Strike felt a sort of special bond with Lancelot, though the two rarely saw eye to eye. Lancelot was stoic, chauvinistic and chivalrous whilst Strike was cocky, hasty and an absolute lecher for anyone he could breed with.

Well, almost anyone. As it turns out, Rock Candy had a thing for Strike, and the Dwebble made no effort in hiding it. Strike, oddly enough, had little desire to get together with the flirtatious Dwebble. Flirting was one thing; commitment was another entirely.

Lucky naturally landed on Tony's lap as he sat down into his own booth, trying once again to cement her place as favorite. All of the Pokemon were more-or-less comfortable in the train. Outside, Tony could hear the conductor shouting for any final passengers. The time to go had finally come.

The Butterfree in Tony's stomach were fluttering like mad as he heard the distant roar of a diesel engine as the train revved up. The station slowly started to vanish as the train pulled away. Next stop: Nimbasa City!

Tony leaned back in his seat._ See you soon, Skyla. You, too, Elesa. You'd better be ready!_

"TING! CHICK!"

A sudden metallic ringing followed by a scratching sound. Tony's heart nearly leaped into his throat as he slowly turned around to see an old-fashioned typewriter sitting on the table, a pair of elegant, feminine hands frozen on the keys. Said hands were naturally attached to arms, and said arms were attached to a body and said body had a head on top of it. A pair of dark purple eyes, sitting behind a pair of elegent glasses, were locked with Tony, staring at him intensely.

"Meep..." was all that could come out of Tony's mouth.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Phew, finally out of Nuvema Town! Off to grand adventure once more!**

**Seems Juniper's wise to the orphaned hero trope, eh? I think she read the script.**

**Surprise scary lady! I wonder who she could be? **

**Reader Question Time! If you had to be the apprentice of a Pokemon Professor, which one would it be? I'm caught between Oak and Aurea. How about you? Answer after you review! :D**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	9. Enter Shauntal!

**Last time, on Unova Grand Tour...**

**Tony left on his journey once more. After bidding farewell to his mother, his aunt and Professor Juniper he swiftly made his way to Accumula Town Train Station, quickly boarding the train with his Pokemon, ready to travel to Nimbasa City once more! However, Tony isn't as alone in the train as he'd like to be, and quickly realized that he had made the mistake of sitting directly next to a mysterious woman with a typewriter.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

To Tony's credit, he didn't scream like a little girl. He leaped right out of his seat with a squeak but he didn't scream.

The woman was short; so short that she was actually the same size of Tony, who was far from the tallest kid in the world. Despite this she had that matured look to her and was clearly in her late-twenties or early-thirties.

She had a soft, wise look to her, with dark, short-cut and neatly groomed burgundy hair. She wore a form-fitting purple dress and a pair of black tights underneath her skirt. A large black... eh, bowish-looking thing was wrapped around her neck, rising above her head. She looked at Tony with a quizzical look, her face relatively expressionless.

Tony turned red, feeling humiliated. "S-sorry!" he apologized, bowing his head. "I didn't see you there..."

The woman's look softened but she didn't say a thing.

"I-I'll just go and sit over there, okay?" Tony said, pointing to where Lancelot, Strike and Rock Candy were sitting.

The woman turned away and returned to her typing, her fingers suddenly typing across the ancient keys with renewed vigor. Frankly, Tony was surprised to see her using a typewriter; the thing had to be over a hundred years old at the very least. If he had a typewriter like that he'd probably sell it on the internet.

The woman paid Tony no mind; she just kept typing away like there was no tomorrow. Tony decided not to press her any further and sat down next to Lancelot, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He shrugged it off and pulled open his backpack, retrieving a few books he had wanted to read over the course of the ride.

He flipped open the first book (Professor Oak's Complete Pokemon Poetry Volume 23) and started reading as the train picked up speed, the station passing by in a blur of motion.

The woman briefly stopped typing and cast a gaze at Tony for a split second, before returning to her work.

* * *

Accumula Town vanished in a flash, quickly replaced with roving fields and sparse forests as the train rocketed across Unova at breakneck speed. Soon the fields vanished as the train plunged into a green forest, thick with foliage and shadows. Then, a tunnel surrounded the train, causing the emergency lights to flicker on for a few moments before they shot out into the open fields once more.

Miles went by in mere minutes, which made Tony all the happier that he had made the decision to ride the train instead of walking the entire way. Days of travel would be crossed over in hours now! Now all he had to do was sit back, relax and wait for the train to arrive in Nimbasa City.

Well, that was just the problem. Tony had to sit and relax. If he had wanted to do that he would have stayed at home. Sure, the convenience of quick travel was nice and all, but Tony's legs were already itching. Part of him wanted to wander around the train but he had no idea if that was socially acceptable or not. Besides, he didn't want to leave his Pokemon alone and he didn't think dragging them around the train would be a smart idea.

Tony breezed through his book and started to watch the scenery go by, sighing as he finally got bored of that, too. He checked his watch; only forty-five minutes had passed, and the ride was expected to be three hours at least. So, with little else to do, Tony buckled down for the long haul.

About ten minutes after Tony had started twiddling his thumbs the door to the car slid open and a spindly man with a long white coat and hat, with pale skin to match and icy blue eyes. He moved in a strange, almost robotic fashion, hardly moving his joints as he carried a tray with a piping teapot and tiny teacup on top of it. He quickly carried the tray to the woman in burgundy, setting it on the table. "Your tea, Ms. Shauntal," he said in a flippant tone.

The woman didn't even look at the man as she muttered a brief thank you, her hands not pausing for an instant as they typed away.

The man straightened and turned to Tony, the friendly smile still on his face. "My, my," he remarked, looking over his Pokemon. "What on earth are you doing in here? The battle car is down that way." He gestured to the back of the car.

Tony straightened his posture. "Eh?"

"We have a battle car," the man explained. "It's for trainers to get practice on the trip."

Tony nearly leaped out of his seat with surprise. "W-why didn't anyone tell me that before!" he cried.

The man sighed. "Doesn't anybody read the brochures anymore?" he asked himself.

Tony sat down again. "Sorry. I was in a bit of a rush when I bought my ticket. I didn't bother to find out about anything on the train, other than if they took Pokemon."

"It's no problem," the man dissuaded. "I'm Emmet, by the way - second in command of this fine engine. Be sure to contact me if you need anything. Oh!" He pulled a silver stopwatch out from his coat and flipped it open. "Look at the time! My turn at the engine." He closed the watch and walked off. "The battle car is completely free, so be sure to stop by!" he called, walking off in his mechanical fashion.

Tony quickly slipped back on his backpack and stood up. "Okay, who wants to go and find that battle car?" he asked his Pokemon. Receiving mostly positive replies, he quickly returned all save Lucky to their Pokeballs and quickly set off to the battle car.

The woman in glasses briefly stopped typing and watched him go. The door to the next car slid shut, signalling Tony's departure. The woman seized her typewriter, placed it in its case, and followed after him.

* * *

"Cofagrigus! Use Shadow Ball!""

A blob of inky energy splashed against a small, grey-green reptilian Pokemon, sending the poor creature down to the floor with a pathetic wheeze as she lost consciousness.

The Pokemon's trainer, a blue-haired young woman who had previously thought a good deal about herself, gaped miserably as her Axew fainted after one shot. "N-no!" she cried out unhappily.

Her opponent was a golden Ghost-type Pokemon that Tony instantly recognized as a Cofagrigus, a four-armed, red-eyed creature that hid in old-fashioned sarcophagi, said to wrap unfortunate trainers up in gauze, turning them into mummies.

The Cofagrigus' trainer was a young brunette, wearing a pair of sunglasses over her eyes and a white sunhat over her shoulder-length hair, along with a simple blue dress and white blouse. She gave a satisfied nod to her Cofagrigus as it knocked out yet another opponent in a long line of fallen would-be challengers. "Next victim," she said quietly.

Needless to say, the promise of a powerful opponent was the perfect bait to goad Tony inside the battle car. The car had a simple, narrow battlefield, painted green, in the center. Thank goodness these train cars were as wide as they were, otherwise they never would have been able to fit an entire arena inside. The battlefield was lined with dozens of spectators, young and old, all of them eager for someone to knock off the current queen of the hill.

Tony grinned, seeing the open spot opposite of the current champ. Time to get some practice in. He had experience with Cofagrigus, too... Okay, he had never beaten a Cofagrigus, but, hey, he had battled one before. He knew about their abilities and whatnot, so that would have to suffice.

"I'll battle you."

The words that Tony had planned on speaking were spoken - by someone else. The woman in burgundy strode past the bug-catcher, calmly regarding the battlefield as she approached. Tony felt a tinge of disappointment but shook it off. It would be rude to interrupt now.

The woman climbed up onto the small platform in front of the arena, the Cofagrigus and his trainer eyeing her curiously. "Name?" the opposing trainer asked.

"Shauntal," the other woman replied. "And you?"

"Thorn."

The crowd began to murmur as the two women stared each other down.

"Who's that?"

"No idea..."

"I've seen her before riding another train!"

"Is she a railway connoisseur or something like that?"

"Maybe she's friends with Ingo or Emmet?"

"Don't know..."

Tony chose a spot next to a hunched over hold man with a long, white beard. The two women were staring at each intensely, both of their faces completely monotone, save for an occasional eyebrow twitch.

"Looks like it's gonna get intense..." Tony whispered to Lucky.

"Freeh," Lucky agreed.

Shauntal pulled open a black and violet Pokeball, popping it open. "Cofagrigus, begin!"

A second Cofagrigus emerged from its home, floating above the battlefield and facing her counterpart. "Meehee!" it shrilled.

"Cofagrigus versus Cofagrigus!" the referee, a railway attendant in a green uniform, shouted. "Begin!"

"Shadow Ball!" Shauntal ordered.

"Shadow Ball!" the current champ countered.

"Meh-heh!"

"Meehee!"

Both Cofagrigus (Cofagrigi? Cofagrigee? Eh...) formed balls of inky energy in their four hands and launched them at one another. The two spheres of energy exploded as they splashed against one another, impressive for the onlookers but harmless to either party.

"Will-o-Wisp!" Thorn shouted.

"Grab the fireballs with Psychic and throw them back!" Shauntal countered.

"Meehee!" Shauntal's Cofagrigus raised her four hands as Thorn's sent a scatter-shot of bluish fireballs at her. The fire froze in midair and was levitated via telekinesis back towards Thorn's Pokemon.

"Block it with Protect!" Thorn ordered.

"Meh!" the male Cofagrigus growled, raising his arms and forming a large energy barrier, blocking the fireballs easily.

The crowd was on its feet by now, filled with anticipation and eagerness. Every challenger had been knocked down pretty easily by Thorn previously; seeing this mysterious Shauntal hold her own against the cold woman was amazing to them. By now, cheers were filling the car as the battle increased in pitch. Attacks were thrown left and right, but neither Pokemon landed a hit.

Both Cofagrigus... Cofagrigi... Cofagrigee... Eh, both Ghost-types were panting heavily as they stared each other down, fingers twitching as they prepared for their next attack.

Thorn made a brief, sour face. "This is getting ridiculous," she hissed to Cofagrigus. "Are you even trying?"

"Meh-heh!" Cofagrigus replied unhappily, growling at the ungrateful tone of Thorn's voice.

"I think it's time for you to give up, Thorn," Shauntal called. "Or should I call you..." A small smile crossed her lips as she spoke.

Shantaul's next word was drowned out by the roar of the audience. Tony strained his ears to hear what she had said but failed to make heads or tails of it.

Thorn had heard it, though. She froze up, surprise and mortification written on her face. She trembled and pulled out a Pokeball. "Cofagrigus, return," she ordered silently.

The crowd went dead silent as the undefeated champ quickly slid away from the arena, rushing over to the old man Tony had been sitting next to. "We need to go," she hissed to the man. "Now!"

"What did she say?" the man asked, his voice a strange, squawking sound.

"Let's go!" the woman repeated, yanking him to his feet and accidentally bumping into Tony as she did so.

The woman and boy collided unhappily, landing on the floor in a heap. Thorn's sunhat flipped off of her head. "W-watch where you're...!" the woman began. She froze when she saw Tony's face. "Y-y..." She quickly stood up and shook it off. "Let's go, grandfather," she ordered the old man, quickly slipping her hat back on her head.

The two beat a hasty retreat, not even bothering to help Tony up. Tony didn't mind, though. He was too busy having some very unpleasant flashbacks.

* * *

_Flashback..._

* * *

_"You don't know who you're dealing with! I am not a knight for no reason!"_

_"You managed to beat Frost. I'm surprised - you only had a thirty-nine percent chance of success."_

_"A pity this is the end of the line for you. You might have been useful in the long run."_

* * *

_End flashback..._

* * *

Tony's eyes went wide. "Numera!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Seriously, what IS the plural form of Cofagrigus?**

**Numera is alive and on the train?! What is she up to? Tune in next time to find out!**

**Reader Question Time! Which Mega Evolution do you think looks the best? Personally, I like Mega Mawile best, but that's just because I like Mawile a lot. Meh. Which do you think looks the coolest? Answer after you review! **

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	10. Mystery Aboard the Nimbasa Express!

**Last time on Unova Grand Tour...**

**Tony met a mysterious woman named Shauntal on the train to Nimbasa City. Though Tony tried to make small-talk, Shauntal had bad social skills that rivaled his own, paying him no mind. Shortly afterwards, as Tony grew bored with lounging around the passenger car, he learned from Emmet, one of train's engineers, informed him of a battle car, a train car that was specifically designed for Pokemon Battles. Tony was quick to head to the car with intent to challenge the current champ, a young woman named Thorn, but was beaten to it by Shauntal, who was easily able to hold her own against Thorn's Cofagrigus with her own Cofagrigus. The battle came to an abrupt end when Shauntal called Thorn something, causing the woman to beat a hasty retreat. As she ran, she bumped into Tony, and it was at that moment when Tony finally recognized her voice without the roar of the audience. Thorn was truly none other than Lady Numera - a Team Plasma Knight and wanted criminal who has tried to off Tony multiple times! **

* * *

Okay, okay. No need to panic. There was just a wanted criminal on the train with a grudge against him who he had never been able to defeat.

Okay... No, you know what? To heck with it! This was the perfect time to panic!

Tony stood up, shellshocked. "That was Numera," he whispered. "That was Numera!"

Lucky growled. "Freeh!"

"W-we gotta tell someone..." Tony whispered to the Butterfree. "I mean, what if she tries something?"

"She won't."

A gloved hand clamped down onto Tony's shoulder. "Come with me," Shauntal whispered. "Now."

Tony was by no means stupid, especially with someone like Numera on the train. "Lucky..." he began, raising his voice so that if things went south he could cause a scene and maybe get some help.

Shauntal's Cofagrigus floated in front of Tony, her eyes glowing as she stared into Tony's. Tony struggled to escape Shauntal's grip, knowing full well what she was trying to do. Cofagrigus' Hypnosis attack took hold of his mind before he could utter a single word.

Lucky snarled, charging at the Ghost-type whilst preparing a Confusion attack only to be grabbed by the Coffin Pokemon. Cofagrigus' special ability, Mummy, activated and quickly wrapped the Butterfly Pokemon up in grey-colored gauze.

It was over before anyone noticed what was happening. The crowd had already forgotten Shauntal and Thorn and were now complete engrossed in the next match. No one noticed Shauntal lead the brainwashed Tony off, her Cofagrigus and the captive Lucky following her.

* * *

"U-ugh..."

When Tony finally regained consciousness, he found himself with his face buried in his arms and a splitting headache, slumped over on a table. The whir of wheels and rush of the wind confirmed he was still on the train.

Tony slowly pushed his face off the table, wiping his mouth. The world was spinning at first but it quickly slowed down and finally came to a halt, allowing Tony to see the familiar face of Shauntal. The burgundy-haired woman was sitting directly across from him and the bound Lucky, calmly typing away once more.

Tony normally considered himself to be a polite, well-behaved young man... but this chick was toast! "W-what the heck was that!?" he shouted.

"Shh!" Shauntal hissed in a librarian-like tone. "Be quiet!"

"You kidnapped me!" Tony accused.

"Shh!"

"You-!"

_"Shh!_" Shauntal hissed. "If I had kidnapped you I would have tied you up and taken your Pokemon. In case you haven't noticed you have all of your Pokeballs and are completely unbound. I just wanted to get you in here without making a scene."

Tony lowered his voice and tone but his glare remained. Wonderful! One day out of Nuvema Town and this happens! "What do you want?" he demanded, getting straight to the point.

Shauntal smiled. He's a straight-forward sort of boy, she thought, typing down on her typewriter. "To be honest," she told Tony "what I want is for you to stay out of trouble. Crossing paths with a criminal like that wouldn't be wise."

Tony blinked. "You know?" he asked. "How? Are you with the..." he paused and lowered his voice, "International Police?"

"Oh, no," Shauntal replied. "I'm just a concerned citizen with a knack for putting her nose into dangerous situations," Shauntal replied innocently.

"Well, that's something we have in common..." Tony admitted begrudgingly. He wasn't unhappy that he had any similarities to Shauntal; he was unhappy that he was still a danger-magnet despite the fact that Team Plasma was (supposedly) put away.

"To be completely honest," Shauntal admitted, "I'm writing a novel. I'm an author - not a successful author, mind you but, well, I'm working on it. It's sort of difficult to get the creative juices flowing sometimes... I'm also something of a detective."

"Do you have a badge or anything like that?" Tony asked.

"...Non-profit detective," Shauntal admitted.

Tony groaned. "Okay, so you're an author who is also a detective who is also a kidnapper. That doesn't explain anything, really."

"I'm not a kidnapper." Shauntal stopped typing, adjusting her glasses. "I'm just trying to write a book," she explained, "a detective story. Problem is, creative ideas are hard to come by in this day and age. Everything's been done before!" She rolled her eyes. "For a while, I was feeling discouraged. Writing is... my one, true dream."

"I'm sorry," Tony said.

"Oh, it's fine!" Shauntal said, brightening up. "You see, a little under a month ago a weird man approached me with an offer to by Angelina."

"Who?" Tony asked.

Shauntal proudly gestured to her typewriter. "This little beauty. She's over three-hundred years old, passed down for generations of my family! It's a valuable antique easily worth a thousand yen! Not only is it old and still perfectly operable..." She flipped the typewriter around and showed it to Tony. "Look at this! It's a bilingual typewriter to boot!"

It was bilingual. Each bronze-colored key had two marks on: one in usual common font and the other a strange, foreign symbol that Tony didn't recognize. "What language is that?" he asked. "It looks like something my Uncle Brad would be into. He's an archaeologist."

"I know! Impressive and atmospheric. You can understand my reluctance to sell it. Anyways, the mysterious stranger..." Shauntal paused and wrote that down. "Oh, that's a good line... Anyways, this weird man offered to buy it off of me for three-thousand yen! That would get my book published easily and even begin the funding for the live-action motion picture adaptation. However..." She looked down at "Angelina" and sighed. "Angelina's part of my family history. I couldn't just sell her."

She paused and took a brief sip of her tea, Lucky and Tony listening patiently. "Well, I refused... but then things started to get... mysterious. I started to get threatening letters to give up the typewriter... or else!"

Tony shivered. "R-really?" he asked.

"Yes," Shauntal said with a nod. "Death threats even..." A bizarre grin crossed her face. "Isn't that so intriguing?"

"No!" Tony exclaimed. "That's _scary_!"

"Which will serve to draw in the interest of the reader!" Shauntal exclaimed. "Anyways, the last time that I received a threatening note it told me that if I valued my life I'd get on board this train and await further instruction. So, I came... and that's when I saw Numera."

Tony blinked. "W-wait a minute," he interrupted. "You know who she is?"

"Yes, I do!" Shauntal sounded _very_ pleased with herself. "You see, I took the liberty of looking up every criminal who is currently unaccounted for before I left for the station, so I could recognize one if one showed up. One did! Agatha Hickory, alias Lady Numera. A Plasma Knight who is currently MIA and considered dead by the police."

"I know that!" Tony exclaimed. "I was there! I saw her get shot down... by N..." He shivered, remembering that horrible day. Memories of Numera's sins against him and his friends flashed back and came out. "You see, Numera... Agatha... used to be a student of Professor Aurea Juniper. The two were really good friends until one day when Numera tried to get support for her invention, some kind of super Pokedex called the Hickory-Dex. Juniper didn't support the machine because it was a piece of junk and..."

"Yes, yes," Shauntal agreed, typing down everything Tony had said. "I know. Juniper agreed to help test out the Hickory-Dex and the device failed instantly. Agatha never forgave Juniper..." she took another sip of her tea, "and she left the academy and disowned Juniper. She joined up with Team Plasma..."

"So that she could get her invention funded and completed, yeah," Tony finished. "She was one of N's Plasma Knights for a while, but during the Nimbasa Invasion... she tried to run from a losing battle and N shot her down. I thought she had... died."

"Maybe someone saved her?" Shauntal offered. "Another Plasma Knight went missing around the same time... Magico or something..."

"Mystico," Tony corrected. "Ghost-type user. Dressed as a clownish magician." He sighed. "Also presumed dead by the authorities. The two... didn't seem to get along and... I-I don't think he would have survived. He got... stabbed. N used him as a shield to protect his Pokemon."

"I see..." Shauntal rapidly typed away.

Tony shook his head. "Okay, okay, I get it. Numera's alive. But why would she want to steal your typewriter? Scratch it, the guy offered to buy it from you for three times its worth! Besides, Mystico and Numera are... or were Plasmas. They're into Pokemon Liberation, not stealing antiques from wannabe detectives!"

"Hey!" Shauntal shouted. "I resent that!"

"Sorry," Tony apologized meekly.

Shauntal huffed. "Never mind that," she scolded. "I am not accusing our Plasma friend of any sort of wrongdoing at the moment. She knows now that I know who she is, so I doubt she'll want to approach me. She probably thinks I'm either an undercover police offer or a Plasma sent to assassinate her after her miraculous survival. Nevertheless, it's probably best for Emmet to arrange a meeting between Numera and Officer Jenny when we arrive in Nimbasa City. She's done some things that she needs to answer for."

"Okay, that's fine and dandy," Tony congratulated, feeling exasperated. "What about your typewriter?"

Shauntal grinned. "I've informed Emmet and Ingo," she whispered, "the Subway Bosses and the ones in charge of this train. We're prepared for my unwanted customer. When he or she makes her move, we've got them and I've got the perfect premise for my novel!"

"A woman riding a train and acting as bait for a trap for a thief who's trying to steal a bilingual typewriter when she could just call the police and seek government protection?" Tony asked.

Shauntal froze. "W-well, when you say it like that it sounds silly," she admitted. "Eh, I'll work it out in the outline. The point is, we're going to catch the villain, so stay out of the way and don't get into any trouble."

At that very moment the train went into a tunnel. Naturally, the automatic lights were supposed to turn on and illuminate the passenger cars. Indeed, the lights did go on in every car except for the one Tony and Shauntal were in.

"W-what the-?!" Tony exclaimed.

The train quickly shot out from the tunnel, filling the car with sunlight again.

"A-auuugh!" Shauntal screamed, leaping to her dainty feet. "M-my typewriter!"

The table was bare; Shauntal's typewriter was gone!

"My typewriter..." Shauntal moaned pitifully.

_Smooth move, Nancy Drew_, Tony thought, rolling his eyes and face-palming.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**As one unpaid writer to another, I feel ya, Shauntal. You crazy freak.**

**Okay, guys, I have an announcement to make. Do to some circumstances beyond my control I may not be able to update for a little while. I have to take a little personal trip and I may not be able to access the internet until Tuesday. Sorry! Rest assured that I will be working on new chapters on my laptop while I'm gone, so there will be plenty for you guys to read when I do get back! :D**

**Anyways, Reader Question Time! Who do YOU think stole the typewriter? Spoilers, it was Clover!**

**Clover: "Wadd... Wadd... Waaahahahahaha!"**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	11. An Unlikely Alliance!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony realized that Agatha Hickory, AKA Plasma Knight Lady Numera, was on the same train as he was! Naturally, not being an idiot, he wanted to report her to the train's engineers but he was stopped by the mysterious Pokemon Trainer Shauntal. Shauntal revealed herself to be an up-and-coming author who was searching for the perfect story to base a detective novel on. Shauntal had been threatened by a mysterious stranger to give up her antique bilingual typewriter on the train – or else! Seeing this as the perfect premise for her novel, Shauntal walked right into a dangerous situation, hoping to use her "detective skills" to catch the thief. Unfortunately for Shauntal, the thief struck the moment the train went into a tunnel, stealing the typewriter under the cover of darkness!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

The control room of the Nimbasa Express was a technical marvel. There was never a dull moment for the drivers in the sleek, comfortable diesel engine. The constant rush of the wind as the lands about them shot by in a blur of greens and blues.

In the olden days, such a train would require constant attention from the driver and fireman. Today, however, in the age of advanced computers, such a thing was completely unneeded. Super computers ran each train, requiring only regular system check-ups from the drivers. Oh, sure, the train had manual controls but they were rarely ever used by the drivers.

Speaking of the drivers, their names were Ingo and Emmet; twin brothers who shared the same face and height, so they wore different colored coats to distinguish them. Emmet wore the white coat and was much more flippant and carefree than his stricter, much more focused elder brother, Ingo in the black coat.

The brothers had their differences but they loved one another and they loved working with one another. They also were quite fond of Ms. Shauntal, the bookish but not unattractive woman who shared a fondness for trains. Sure, her entire face was usually buried between the pages of a thick book but when she wasn't reading or typing up a storm she made for fantastic conversation. She had ridden the train no less than fifty times by now, stating that it was an excellent place for the "creative process" of writing.

Shauntal was the friend of the Subway Brothers; so, when they had heard she was in trouble and that some sort of fiend was threatening her to give up her typewriter – on _their _train, no less! – they were more than happy to help their friend in an attempt to trap the would-be thief and bring him to justice.

Unfortunately, their plan hadn't exactly worked…

Shauntal burst into the engine, a desperate look covering her normally pretty face. "E-Emmet!" she cried, running over to the brothers. "Ingo! M-my typewriter! It's been stolen!"

Both brothers rose to their feet in a mechanical fashion, mortification written on Emmet's face and dull surprise on Ingo's. "W-what?" Emmet asked.

"It was stolen!" Shauntal cried. "They took Angelina! And by using the old "wait until the train goes into the tunnel and everything goes dark to make your move" cliché! That's the oldest trick in the book!"

Both brothers quickly followed Shauntal back to the car she and Tony had been staying in. Tony was still there with Lucky, unsure of what to do.

"What happened?" Ingo asked Shauntal, getting straight to the point.

"I-I was talking with Tony," Shauntal explained in a shaky voice, "and then we went into the tunnel and the lights went off and when they came back on…" She sniffled, on the verge of bursting into tears. "Angelina was gone…"

Ingo quickly grabbed Tony by the shoulder and wrenched him out of his seat. "H-hey!" Tony shouted. "What are you-?!"

Ingo ignored him and quickly patted him down. "No typewriter here," he said simply.

"Of course I don't have it!" Tony shouted. "How on earth would I keep a typewriter in my pock…" He paused as he noticed Ingo digging into his backpack. "H-hey!" he cried, feeling absolutely infuriated.

"No typewriter here, either," Ingo said, dropping the bag onto the table. "We'll just hold him in here until it shows up."

"W-what?!" Tony cried.

"You are suspect number one," Ingo explained. "You were in the room with Shauntal when the typewriter was stolen."

Shauntal shook her head, mercifully coming to Tony's defense. "No, no, it can't be Tony!"

"Why not?" Ingo and Emmet asked in unison.

"Because Professor Juniper wouldn't choose a thief to be her protégé," Shauntal said.

Tony and Lucky nearly fell over. "W-wha…?"

"Oh." Ingo and Emmet bowed their heads. "Our apologies."

"I-it's okay…" Tony shook his head. "No, wait, it's not okay. How do you know who I am!?" he demanded, turning to Shauntal. "I never said anything about being one of Juniper's protégés. How did you know about that!?"

Shauntal folded her arms. "I'm a friend of Juniper's," she explained. "She told me about you. Not many blonde-haired, blue-eyed boys with Butterfree are walking around Unova. Besides, your team consisted only of Bug-type Pokemon, which completely gave you away."

Tony held up his wrist, showing Shauntal the green xtransceiver, a wrist-mounted phone and watch. "Okay, so if I call Juniper right now she'll know who you are," he challenged.

Shauntal nodded. "Yes."

Tony sighed. "Alright, fine, whatever," he said. "Pretty much every Gym Leader I've ever met knew me in advance so why not you, too?"

"Forgive me for interrupting," Emmet said, "but Angelina is still missing. What should we do?"

"We could just call Officer Jenny in Nimbasa City and have her wait to pick up the thief," Tony offered.

"No!" Shauntal cried, shaking her hands. "No, we can't do that! If we stop the train the thief could just slip away! We can't stop!"

Ingo nodded. "I understand," he said. "I'll handle things." He turned away and walked to the engine, the door sliding shut behind him with a hiss. Mere seconds later, Ingo's voice came on the train's speakers: _"Attention, everyone. This is Ingo. Due to technical difficulties we will not be able to stop in Nimbasa City quite as planned."_

"What…?" Tony whispered.

"_Instead, we will head to Virbank City for refueling. This might take time. We apologize for the inconvenience. Free snacks in the food car for everyone."_

"Virbank City?" Shauntal asked. "That's all the way across the Western Unova River!"

"A-all the way across the river?!" Tony exclaimed. "B-but what about going to Nimbasa City?"

Emmet nodded. "Don't worry! We will arrive at Nimbasa City as planned." He lowered his voice. "The longer trip will give us significant time to capture the thief. If we continued on the normal route, we'd arrive at Nimbasa in less than an hour."

Tony groaned. _Less than an hour?_ he thought unhappily. Skyla had been so close mere seconds ago, but now she felt farther away than ever.

"Emmet…" Shauntal said, her eyes growing teary. "You'd heartlessly inconvenience almost two-dozen passengers for me?"

"Any day of the week, Ms. Shauntal."

"Emmet… When I write my book I'm changing your character," Shauntal decided. "You get to be the weak-minded conductor aboard the train who has a soft spot for any pretty woman."

Emmet sweat-dropped. "T-thank you for the honor, Ms. Shauntal. N-now about finding your typewriter. Did anyone aboard the train seem suspicious to you?"

Shauntal rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Actually…"

* * *

Lady Numera had been having a very, very bad day.

She had awoken this morning with a horrible crick in her neck that hadn't quite faded as the day went on. Afterwards she had to rush to catch her train, missing her breakfast. She would have eaten something on the train but she now had a horrible case of motion sickness. So, she decided to pass the time with a few Pokemon battles, only for some purple-haired freak to somehow recognize who she was. Then she actually bumped into that wretched Miller brat, Juniper's little pet. And now…

Agatha winced as Ingo and Emmet gripped her arms. The two brothers had "requested her presence" just as her stomach was beginning to settle. Now she felt sicker than ever. She had a sinking suspicion to who was behind this.

Her suspicions was correct; the two Subway Bosses led her into the car directly behind the engine itself, where the stern, suspicious faces of both Tony and Shauntal.

Numera scowled as she glared at Tony. One month hadn't nursed any of the wounds she felt that this boy had inflicted. He hadn't hurt her physically, but his persistence in defying her and surviving had been quite the blow to her ego. "It's you," she hissed. "What a surprise! Juniper ruins my life and now you're here to ruin my life, too! Like teacher like student…"

Lucky growled, putting herself in-between Numera and her trainer, just in case the former Plasma Knight tried anything funny. "Juniper didn't ruin your life," Tony retorted. "You did that just fine on your own."

"Sit down," Ingo advised, forcing Numera into one of the booths.

Shauntal sat across from her. "Alright, Numera… or would you prefer Agatha?"

"It's Numera," Numera replied coldly.

"Right, right." Shauntal adjusted her glasses and went into detective mode. "Alright, confess!" she ordered. "What are you doing on this train!?"

"Riding it, obviously," Numera replied in a snarky tone.

"Besides that," Shauntal specified.

"I'm going to Nimbasa City," Numera said.

"Why Nimbasa?" Tony asked.

"That's none of your business," Numera replied. "Next question."

"Okay, how about this: how the heck did you survive?" Tony demanded. "You took a Zap Cannon to the back at about one hundred feet in the sky!"

"I'm extremely lucky," Numera answered.

"Did Mystico survive?" Tony asked. "I saw you using a Cofagrigus in the battle car. You never used Ghost-types before, only Steel-types."

Numera bowed her head slightly. "No… Mystico is dead," she sighed. "I found his Cofagrigus trying to wake him up… the poor creature had nowhere to go and I couldn't just leave him there…"

Tony sighed, feeling oddly disappointed. "Oh…"

"Don't sound so morose," Numera snapped. "He was your enemy, in case you're too stupid to remember that."

Tony turned away. "I do remember that," he replied. "That doesn't mean I wanted to see him get hurt."

"We're getting off track here," Shauntal said. "Now, Numera, I'd like to ask you a few questions regarding my typewriter."

Numera raised an eyebrow. "Your what?"

"My typewriter, Angelina," Shauntal explained. "It was just stolen."

Numera looked from Emmet to Tony to Shauntal. "You brought me in here because somebody stole a typewriter?!" she exclaimed. "Are you serious!?"

"An antique typewriter," Shauntal explained. "Worth easily thirty-thousand yen."

"A thousand…" Numera scowled. "You… You... Idiot! I'm not some common thief! Ask him!" She gestured to Tony. "I am… I was, rather, a Plasma Knight! I was a strategist and a solider, not some moron criminal!"

"You are a criminal," Emmet reminded her. "Or have you forgotten the invasion from about a month ago?"

Shauntal groaned. "She's right."

"What?" Emmet asked.

"Why would she steal a bilingual typewriter?" Shauntal asked. "She's a liberationist, not a common thief." Shauntal sighed. "Oh, well. At least we caught you. Officer Jenny will be waiting for you when we get to Virbank City."

Numera's eyes went wide. "W-what?"

"You didn't think we were going to just let you go, did you?" Emmet asked. "You have an awful lot to answer for."

Numera swallowed, turning paler than usual. "N-now listen," she said, "maybe we can make a deal…"

"Why bother?" Shauntal asked. "You don't know anything about my typewriter. Cuff her, Emmet. We'll let the police deal with her."

"W-wait!" Numera cried. "Wait, don't do that!"

"Why not?" Emmet asked, pulling out a pair of handcuffs that he had obtained for such a situation.

Numera stared desperately at the assembled humans. "I-if you hand me over to the police N will be sure to hear of it! He'll know he failed to kill me! He'll probably send someone to…" She shivered. "…Finish the job…"

"Well, that's not my problem," Emmet replied, preparing the cuffs. "You have an awful lot to answer for, Ms. Numera. You can't keep running forever."

Numera shrank back. "P-please…" she begged. She looked over to Tony. "Y-you can't let them do this!" she cried.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "But Numera," he said, "you're my enemy, aren't you? I shouldn't feel bad for you, should I?"

Numera swallowed. "Y-you'd let me go to prison… and my death?" she asked.

"I'm sure the police will keep you well-guarded," Tony replied.

"That won't be enough!" Numera cried. "I… I know where the Team Plasma secret base is! If I get caught…" She swallowed. "N will send someone to silence me!" She reached out and grabbed Tony by the shoulder. "P-please!" she begged. "You can't do this to me!"

Well, that didn't help Tony's conscience any. "I…"

"W-we can make a deal!" Numera begged. "I… I have a massive I.Q.! I'm probably the smartest person on the train! I can help you find your typewriter for sure! Just give me a one day head-start, that's all I ask!"

Tony nudged Shauntal. "Maybe we should…" he whispered.

"Didn't she try to kill you?" Shauntal asked skeptically. "More than once?"

"Yeah, and she kidnapped a friend of mine," Tony said, casting a scathing look at Numera. "She also tried to kill Professor Juniper and her aides and threatened my friends. But… I mean, she is really smart… and if we do put her in prison, N's sure to try and finish her off. I mean…"

Shauntal sighed. "You're too kindhearted for your own good," she told Tony.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, I've gotten that. But doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?"

"Freeh," Lucky reminded him.

"Okay, okay," Tony said, "I mean, doesn't everyone deserve a _third_ chance?"

Shauntal sighed. "Emmet, what do you think?"

Emmet was the heart of the Subway Duo. "Well, I think everyone deserves a third chance, too," he agreed with Tony. "Besides, we're traveling in a bullet train. It's not like she can jump the train or anything."

Shauntal cast a wary look at the hopeful-looking Numera. "Fine," she conceded. "But I'm only doing this because Angelina's very important to me… and it will be really good for my book."

"T-thank you!" Numera cried. "You won't regret this."

She said it, but Tony couldn't help but get a sinking feeling in his stomach, almost feeling disgusted with the fact that he had forgiven Numera. She was a former Plasma, true, but she had still been a Plasma. They couldn't trust her in the slightest but they could use her.

The question was: how would they know if it was _she _who was using _them_?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Surprise update from New Jersey! Hoorah! **

**Tony and Numera? Working together? Oh, this can only turn out so well… Well, at least Shauntal's getting great material for her book.**

**Also, in response to an anomynous viewer I have changed how much the typewriter is worth. I completely forgot that a thousand yen isn't a whole lot of money in American currency. **

**Reader Question Time! Would you rather have a Tony's Journey game or a Tony's Journey anime? Would you rather play through Tony's adventure or watch him and his friends with voice-acting and animation? Or would you like neither of them? Answer after you review!**

**Hey, did you know that if everyone who followed my story reviewed I'd have at least forty-seven reviews per chapter? With that in mind, review folks! :D**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	12. The Investigation Begins!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony's new acquaintance Shauntal found herself bereft one antique bilingual typewriter named Angelina! An investigation aboard the Nimbasa Express, which has changed its course to someplace called Virbank City to give our heroes more time to catch the thief. Naturally, the first suspect was Agatha Hickory, AKA Lady Numera, a former Plasma Knight and wanted criminal. Numera denied having anything to do with the theft and was openly hostile to Tony and Shauntal. However, her tune changed when she realized that they intended to turn her into the police. Being a Plasma Knight, Numera knew where the Team Plasma secret H.Q. was located and believed that if she was caught by the police, King N would assuredly silence her to prevent her from revealing its location. Tony, being Tony, didn't want to see Numera die despite her past sins against him and his friends. Numera offered to give her aid in the search for Angelina in return for a single day head-start before they called the police, and after a short debate the group found themselves in the company of the former Plasma Knight!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

If the Nimbasa Express had still been on its way to Nimbasa City, the flashing metropolis would have been visible by now. However, the train had switched onto another track and was now rocketing across a long, long bridge that stretched over the choppy Western Unova River, headed towards the coastal town of Virbank City. Though Virbank was a port town, more accustomed to ships than it was to trains, it did have a small train station.

Virbank was a nice, quiet little place. However, no one on the Nimbasa Express wanted to go there, having paid good money to go to Nimbasa City. It took a great deal of persuading on Emmet's part to calm down the two-dozen human passengers, assuring them that they would be going to Nimbasa City and that there had simply been a mistake when the train had been fueled earlier.

No one suspected the real truth: that there was a thief aboard the Nimbasa Express. Hopefully, the thief didn't suspect that they were on to him or her and that they were just going to refuel, unaware that this was merely a ploy to buy time so that the thief could be apprehended. If they really stopped at any city at all the perpetrator, evidently skilled in stealth, could slip unnoticed into the city and into freedom, the captive Angelina still in possession.

To catch a thief you need to think like a thief… and if you don't have a thief you can settle for any old criminal. Numera was a kidnapper, yes, but she had yet to steal property. Despite this, her pleading somehow convinced Tony that she was the woman for the job.

Emmet allowed Numera to reclaim her hat and sunglasses just in case someone on the train recognized her. Then, at the request of Shauntal, he returned to the engine with Ingo, giving the three wannabe detectives room to investigate the crime scene.

"Alright," Numera told Shauntal, "elaborate the situation for me." The pleading, desperate tone was now gone and replaced with her usual feigned monotone. Tony knew as well as Numera did that she secretly had a cute southern drawl.

Shauntal pulled out a notepad and a pencil, already missing the smooth, bronze keys and metallic clicks and clanks of Angelina. "Tony and I were talking about my plan to catch the thief. Then we went into the tunnel and the automatic lights didn't come on. When we left the tunnel, the lights were gone."

Numera snorted. "Evidently your 'plan' failed," she remarked.

"Well, let's hear your plan, then," Shauntal retorted.

"First we investigate the crime scene," Numera ordered. "Where are the automatic lights controlled from?"

"They're linked to the engine's computer," Shauntal answered.

"I see." Numera nodded. "Go be a good little girl and go ask your friends if there's any sign of tampering with the systems," she ordered the author.

Shauntal scowled at the ex-Plasma's tone but did as instructed, for Angelina's sake.

"Some detective," Numera muttered to herself as Shauntal left.

"Don't be so hard on her," Tony said.

"I'll be as hard on her as I like," Numera retorted. "Now get down on the floor."

Tony blinked. "Eh?"

Numera scowled. "Check the floor for any footprints or anything the thief might have dropped, you idiot!" she snapped.

Tony winced. "F-fine! Sheesh… Lucky, keep an eye on her."

"Freeh!" Lucky chirped with a salute.

Tony went down onto his knees and began to crawl on the floor, searching for any sign of foul play.

Shauntal chose this moment to return into the car. "I've talked with Ingo and Emmet," she said, walking towards Numera. "They said that there's…" Shauntal's violet eyes went down to the floor and to blushing Tony. "Why are you crawling down there?" she asked.

"Never mind that," Numera interrupted. "What did they say?"

Shauntal shook her head. "Right. They said that there was no sign of any tampering or hacking with the system whatsoever!"

"Really?" Tony asked, looking underneath the table. "What about the light-bulbs? Maybe they're out."

"No…" Shauntal murmured unhappily, writing on her notepad. "They said the bulbs are working fine."

Tony shook his head. "I don't get it…" he said. "How could the thief have done it then? Maybe he drained the electricity?"

"And what? Returned it afterwards?" Numera rolled her eyes. "Juniper sure knows how to pick them."

Shauntal, having a very large heart and very little tolerance for bad attitudes, came to Tony's defense. "Well, I don't see you doing anything to solve the case!" she snapped. "My family's treasure is missing and all you're doing is throwing around insults!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, would you like my help?" Numera asked. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm _thinking!_ Seems I'm the only one around here that knows how!"

Shauntal scowled. "In case you've forgotten you're still a wanted woman. If you keep this up I'm going to 'forget' that we made that deal to give you a day to run."

Numera winced. "S-sorry," she muttered.

"Hey!" Tony shouted suddenly. "Look at this!"

He held up a small, greyish strand of cloth of some sort so that the arguing women could see it. "Look at this!" he exclaimed again.

Shauntal quickly grabbed the piece for close examination. "I'd recognize this anywhere!" she declared. "Cofagrigus gauze!" She snapped her fingers. "Cofagrigus is a Ghost-type Pokemon… and it can learn the move Shadow Sneak!" She began pacing back and forth as the gears in her mind began to spin. "Shadow Sneak could be used to cover up the lights on the ceiling… Being a Ghost-type, it could phase through the floor, ceiling or walls to get in and out without us noticing… So, the culprit must have used a Cofagrigus to do his or her dirty work!"

Both Tony and Shauntal's eyes fell upon Numera. "What?" the former Plasma asked.

"You have Mystico's Cofagrigus, don't you?" Tony asked suspiciously.

"S-so?!" Numera scoffed. "She has a Cofagrigus, too, and you're not looking at her like that!"

"She didn't try to kill me," Tony retorted.

"Are you still hung up about that?"

"Yes!" Tony groaned. "F-forget it. Numera's right, Shauntal; there's more than one Cofagrigus in the world."

"I know," Shauntal replied, "but that doesn't throw suspicion off of you!" she told Numera. "Where were you when we went underneath that tunnel?"

"I was in the restroom," Numera said. "Trains upset my stomach."

Shauntal nodded, not entirely convinced. "Alright, then," she said with a shrug. "So, where did this gauze come from, then?"

Tony raised his hand. "Wait a second," he said. "Doesn't this train take Pokemon, too?"

"Yes, of course it does!" Numera snapped.

"Well, do Ingo and Emmet keep record of who has what Pokemon when they board? When I got my ticket the cashier made me take out all my Pokemon and show her!" Tony exclaimed.

Shauntal's eyes went wide. "O-of course!" she shouted, snapping her fingers. "We just need to check the train's computer! That could show us who else has a Cofagrigus!"

Numera folded her arms as Shauntal rushed off to the engine. "Hmm," she murmured. "Impressive, Miller. You've something up in your skull after all."

Tony winced, Numera's somehow scathing compliment grating at his already fragile nerves. "Thanks," he muttered.

"It's a pity things didn't work out too well for either of us," Numera continued. "You really might have been useful in the long run."

"To Team Plasma?" Tony rolled his eyes. "Like I told N and Mystico, I'm not interested."

"You think I care about Team Plasma anymore?" Numera laughed bitterly. "After what that brat king pulled on me? Please! The sooner the police catches every moron grunt and sage the better! I've better things to do than worrying about them anymore."

"Well, you recovered from that pretty quickly," Tony remarked. "I figured you'd be a little sadder about it."

"Not a chance," Numera scoffed. "This world must have something grander for a mind like mine to experience than a lifetime of servitude and wearing sweaty wool uniforms."

"I'm sure it does," Tony said, not in the mood to argue.

"But seriously," Numera said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Tony shivered nervously and Lucky growled threateningly. "If Juniper ever betrays you like she betrayed me be sure to look me up. We might be able to work out some sort of partnership."

Tony shrugged off Numera's hand. "I already told you," he said, "I'm not interested."

Numera frowned. "Suit yourself," she said simply.

Shauntal rushed back into the car. "Got him!" she declared.

"We do?" both Tony and Numera asked.

Shauntal nodded eagerly. "One passenger, a Mr. Sonata, owns a Deerling, a Roggenrola, a Drilbur and a Cofagrigus! He might be our culprit!"

"Then let's find him and ask him!" Tony declared.

"Correct," Shauntal replied. "It's time to put this case to rest! Let's find him! He's a portly middle-aged man with a black beard!"

"He should be easy enough to spot," Numera said with a nod. "Let's find him."

"Right!" Tony said, eager to get this ridiculous case over with, once and for all.

The trio of makeshift detectives and Lucky quickly set out into the train, ready to bring the Case of the Stolen Bilingual Typewriter to its end!

* * *

"Ingo?" Emmet asked. "What are you doing?"

Ingo's thin fingers were gliding across the train's sleek computer. "I'm looking for information he told his younger twin."

"About what?"

"Remember when Shauntal came in here looking for passengers with Cofagrigus?" Ingo asked.

"Yes…"

"Numera didn't appear on the roster – only Ms. Shauntal and this Sonata fellow."

Emmet sat in his velvet seat, suddenly very suspicious. "You mean…?"

"Either she snuck her Cofagrigus in…" Ingo clicked on the passenger database for the journey, "or somebody gave her their own…"

Emmet's eyes went wide. "Y-you don't think…?"

Ingo's eyes flashed. "Find Shauntal," he ordered, "now!"

Emmet stood up straight. "Right!"

Both brothers were about chase after Tony, Shauntal and the now much less trustworthy Numera when they heard a strange clinking sound. They looked down to see a small, metallic cylinder rolling across the floor.

"It's a-!" Emmet began.

There was a bizarre hiss as the grenade split open, releasing a potent Sleep Powder from the canister. Greenish smoke, released from the compressed canister, filled the air and swiftly overcame the duo of brothers.

Emmet slumped over Ingo and the duo collapsed on the floor. "Warn… Miss… Ugh…" Ingo moaned, passing out.

"T-thank you for riding with… Nimbasa… Express… ladies and gents…" Emmet coughed and joined his brother in unconsciousness.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I'm back from New Jersey... and now I'm in college again... Yay...?**

**Looks like trouble! Is Numera behind this or is she just an unwary pawn? Are Tony, Shauntal and Lucky walking into a trap? Who immobilized Ingo and Emmet? **

**Tune in next time to find out!**

**Reader Question Time! What do you think is the biggest innovation Pokemon has ever introduced into its games other than the graphics? Is it adding genders to Pokemon, the breeding system, the double or triple battles, the new ways to evolve, the new moves and strategies they come with or the better stories? For me, I think it might be a little bit of everything that I just mentioned… Heh… Uh, answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	13. What a twist! Except not really

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**For the sake of a bilingual antique typewriter named Angelina (yes, I'm being serious) Tony teamed up with the mysterious Pokemon Trainer Shauntal and former Plasma Knight and current enemy Lady Numera. After a brief investigation the unlikely allies discovered evidence that suggested it was a Cofagrigus who was responsible for the theft. Using the train's records on each passenger and their Pokemon, they realized that a Mr. Sonata was the only passenger other than Shauntal and Numera who had a Cofagrigus. The trio ran to investigate… unaware that Ingo and Emmet, the Subway Bosses and engineers aboard the Nimbasa Express, realized that when Numera had boarded the train under the alias of "Thorn" she hadn't reported her own Cofagrigus… meaning that either Numera hid her Pokemon when she bought her ticket or that she got her Cofagrigus from another passenger – possibly Mr. Sonata himself! Realizing that the ex-Plasma Knight might be double-crossing our heroes, the twins quickly sprang into action, only to be ambushed by a mysterious stranger, who used a gas-grenade to knock both bosses out!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

During Tony' journey across Unova he had met many interesting people. He had met his fair share of Gym Leaders, museum curators, nurses, officers, Plasma Grunts, Plasma Knights, Plasma Sages, a Plasma King, his secret step-sister, an obnoxious rocker girl, a male Nurse Joy, a daycare manager and even his long-lost mother. Among those he had met during that time was a friendly hiker by the name of Nicholas.

Nicholas was a large, rotund hiker with a permanently jolly expression on his face. He had tanned skin, a black beard that never could contain his grin, and great, hairy arms. The man was always friendly and polite to others, and held his Pokemon in high-regard. He loved to test the skill of new Pokemon Trainers and their Pokemon. His home was the great outdoors, where he was free to roam and hike to his heart's content.

Why mention a man Tony only met once? Well, he was there, in the train! One Mr. Nicholas Sonata, supposed owner of a Cofagrigus.

Tony recognized Nicholas in an instant as he, Shauntal and Numera walked into the dining cart. The hiker was happily digging into a large plate of spaghetti as he awaited the train to arrive at its destination.

Tony and Nicholas quickly recognized one another, though only Tony seemed surprised. "Tony!" the hiker chortled, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "It's so good to see you again! Hoho!"

"M-Mr. Nicholas?" Tony asked, surprised to see the hiker. Memories of his first meeting with Nicholas returned to him. He had a Deerling and a Roggenrola, just like this Mr. Sonata… "Y-you're Mr. Sonata?" he asked.

"I am the last time that I checked!" Nicholas replied. "Sit down and join me!" he told the bug-catcher.

"Uh…" Tony sweat-dropped. "Mr. Nicholas couldn't have stolen Angelina," he told Shauntal. "He's too nice!"

"Looks can be deceiving, can't they?" Numera asked.

Shauntal cast a skeptical eye upon the supposed hiker. "So, you two know each other?" she asked.

"Yeah, we met on Unova Route 2 months ago!" Tony explained. "Nicholas was one of the first trainers I ever battled on my journey."

"It's true!" Nicholas chortled. "And an excellent battle it was! Tell me, Tony, have you gotten any stronger?"

"Yeah, I've already won three badges!" Tony replied. "I was on my way to get my fourth when…"

Shauntal interrupted. "Mr. Nicholas, do you own a Cofagrigus?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" Nicholas replied. "He's wandered off, though."

"Is that so?" Numera asked skeptically.

"Indeed! A mischievous sort of creature he is. Barely does a thing I say." Nicholas shrugged. "Oh well. No use in wasting time with worrying about the small things! Hoho!"

"Right…" Shauntal said, unconvinced. "Does your Cofagrigus have a history of crime?" she asked.

"Heavens no!" Nicholas replied innocently. "Why do you ask?"

"A typewriter was stolen," Numera said plainly. "A bilingual typewriter, apparently."

"They still make those?"

"No, they don't," Shauntal explained, feeling exasperated. "That's why it's _valuable_."

"Oh." Nicholas shrugged. "Sorry! Haven't seen any! Hoho!"

Numera snarled. "Alright, I've had enough!" she snapped. "Where's the typewriter?" she demanded, slamming her hands down on Nicholas's table.

Nicholas shook his head. "I don't know," he said simply.

"That's your excuse?!" Numera hissed.

Nicholas nodded. "Yes."

Tony sweat-dropped. "W-well, he says he doesn't know?"

"And you believe him," Numera said drily. "You're far too trusting."

"Well, we're letting you hang around, aren't we?" Shauntal asked.

Numera scowled. "Whatever!" she hissed. "The point is, he's the only other one on the train with a Cofagrigus, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't have a motive!" Tony defended. "What would you do with an antique typewriter, Nicholas?"

"…Write antique letters?" Nicholas offered meekly.

Numera face-palmed. "Idiot…"

Shauntal sighed. "Well, he's still our best suspect," she said, switching back to detective mode. "Mr. Sonata, we'd like to ask you a few questions!"

"Isn't that what you've been doing?" Nicholas asked, scratching his balding head.

"I mean in private!"

"Oh. Very well. Hoho!"

"B-but Nicholas couldn't…" Tony began.

There was a horrible wrenching sound silenced him as the train shuddered and quaked. Tony, Numera and Shauntal were flung to the floor in a heap, and Nicholas had to stop himself from face-planting into his spaghetti. The other three or four passengers in the car cried out as the train came to a sudden screeching halt.

"What the…?" Tony muttered.

Numera stood up. "That's my cue," she said to herself. With a cold smirk on her face, she quickly fled from the dining car, leaving Tony, Lucky and Shauntal behind.

"N-Numera?!" Tony shouted as the door slid shut behind the ex-Plasma Knight.

"I should've known she was up to something!" Shauntal said with a scowl. "Hurry! We need to stop here before she gets off the train!"

Tony nodded, anger and guilt boiling inside of him. "Right! Lucky, come on!"

The two Pokemon Trainers rose and charged after Numera. Nicholas silently watched as the two vanished from the car, wiping his mouth with his napkin. Sighing to himself, he stood up and followed as well.

* * *

"Well, it took you long enough!" Numera snapped.

The ex-Plasma Knight folded her arms crossly as she eyed her accomplice, a hunched-over, white-bearded old man, clenching in his arms a bronze, ancient typewriter. "Don't be so impatient!" the man squawked in a high-pitched, croaking voice. "Have you ever tried drawing on a bullet train before? It's not easy! Besides, I got the stupid runes or whatever."

Numera flipped back her hair. "Good. Let's get out of here before that Miller idiot and his friend try to pull anything."

The door to the car slid open. "Hold it right there, Agatha!" Tony shouted as he Shauntal burst into the car, pulling Pokeballs out and readying for battle.

Numera rolled her eyes. "Speak of the devil…" she muttered, turning to face her enemies.

Shauntal's eyes locked onto the old man – and more importantly, onto her precious treasure. "Angelina!" she exclaimed, both happy to see her typewriter in one piece and mortified that it was in the hands of such villains.

"Who?" the old man asked, confused.

"My typewriter!" Shauntal glared at Numera. "So, you were behind all of this!" she accused.

Numera gave a sardonic smirk. "About time you figured it out," she taunted.

"But why?" Tony asked. "What do you want with Shauntal's typewriter?"

"None of your business," Numera replied. "In all seriousness, though, did you really think that I would be caught by the likes of you two so easily? Did you really think you had me? Please! I had this all planned out from the beginning! Getting captured was merely a diversion to distract you from our true goal!"

Tony winced; he had forgotten just how proud Numera was about her own intellect. "S-so all of that begging and crying…?"

"Was an act!" Numera boasted. "And you two fell for it! All I had to do was play detectives with you two fools, leading you away from the truth!"

Tony groaned. "Idiot!" he called himself, slapping his forehead angrily.

"No need for you to beat yourself up about it," Numera chided. "That's my job." She chuckled. "I have to admit, the only flaws with my plan were Emmet and Ingo. The two were smart enough to put us on a track where I wouldn't be able to escape as I planned. So, we had no choice but to incapacitate the two."

Shauntal stepped forward. "What did you do to them!?" she demanded.

"They're simply asleep," the old man explained with a chuckle. "No need to worry about them. They'll be up in an hour or two."

"Who the heck are you?" Tony asked.

The old man laughed. "Oh, you've forgotten me already? I'm hurt, Tony. Hah!"

With a sudden shriek of delight, the old man grabbed the edge of his long black coat and, with one fell swoop, tore his entire disguise off. The beard and coat went flying, revealing a sleek black suit and red cape underneath. The old man was actually quite young, in his late twenties or early thirties, with incredibly pale skin, bright red painted lips and long, black hair. He was tall, lanky and smirking as he glared down at the much shorter Tony and Shauntal.

Tony scowled, surprised and enraged. "Mystico!"

"Long time no see, kiddo!" the clownish thief chortled, before bursting into a fit of laughter.

The ex-Plasma Knight's high-pitched voice stirred Tony's memory. Sir Mystico, a Ghost-type specialist and probably the Plasma Knight he had had the most encounters with. Unlike Numera, Mystico was bombastic and flamboyant. He had been heavily devoted to N and Team Plasma, until N had used the unfortunate fellow as a shield for his Pokemon during the Nimbasa Invasion. Like Numera, he was presumed dead on the scene.

Evidently, both he and Numera had survived, and while they weren't Plasmas anymore they certainly seemed to still be in the mood to cause trouble.

"So you're both alive," Tony growled. "Why are you after Shauntal's typewriter?"

"Like Aggy said, it's none of your business," Mystico replied with a smirk.

"Don't call me, Aggy!" Numera snapped.

Shauntal took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Alright," she said, holding up her Pokeball, "hand over Angelina if you value your health!"

"Okay," Mystico said.

"…Eh?" Shauntal sweat-dropped. "W-what did you say?"

Mystico tossed the typewriter over to the author, who quickly caught it and cuddled it briefly, happy to see her treasure was safe again. "Take it," the clown said. "We don't need it anymore."

Shauntal groaned. "C-come on!" she shouted.

Mystico scowled. "What are you whining about?! I have it back!"

"You were supposed to do something… sneaky and underhanded!" Shauntal shouted. "You were supposed to hold Angelina hostage, or throw her out the window and into the river, or something like that! What kind of thieves are you!?"

"The successful kind, evidently," Numera commented.

"How am I supposed to write my detective novel if you two aren't taking this seriously?!" Shauntal demanded.

Tony sweat-dropped. "Uh, Shauntal?"

"Yes, what?"

"Shouldn't we… you know… catch them?"

"After the biggest anticlimax ever?!" Shauntal exclaimed.

"Rewrite it for the book, then!" Tony shouted. "They're gonna get away!"

"Indeed we are!" Mystico taunted. "But first…" He cracked his knuckles. "You see, while neither Aggy nor I are Plasmas anymore, you still certainly tried to make our lives miserable when we were," he told Tony.

Tony winced. "It wasn't anything personal."

"Oh, we know," Numera replied. "But this?" She pulled out a Pokeball. "This _is_ personal. Not only are you a thorn in my side, you also work for Aurea."

"And you compete in the Pokemon League," Mystico added.

"You guys aren't Plasmas anymore!" Tony argued.

"That doesn't mean my ideals have changed!" Mystico retorted, snapping his fingers. In a flash of bluish flames his Cofagrigus appeared in front of him. Numera released her own Pokemon, a Skarmory: a sleek, metallic bird with razor-sharp wings and talons.

Mystico smirked. "Don't worry," he told Tony. "We'll try to make this quick and painless. Eheheh…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**It FINALLY HAPPENED! AN ANIME WITH RED AND GREEN IS COMING OUT! HOLY CRAP! THEY DID IT! THOSE MANIACS DID IT! LOOK IT UP ON SEREBII! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! **

**Whoo… I can't believe it… **

**Reader Question Time! On a scale of one to ten how excited are you about this? Me personally? My excitement level is…**

**Vegeta: "It's over nine-thousand!"**

…**Maybe not that high… Oh, who the heck am I kidding, it is! Whee!**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	14. Shauntal vs Mystico and Numera!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony, Shauntal and Numera went to confront a Mr. Sonata, a possible suspect in their search for the thief of Shauntal's antique typewriter. However, Tony was surprised when he learned that Mr. Sonata was none other than Nicholas, a strange and friendly hiker he had met at the beginning of his journey! Knowing that Nicholas had been absurdly friendly to him when they had first met, Tony naturally doubted that the hiker had anything to do with the theft. As it so happens, Tony was correct! In fact, it was really Numera who was behind the whole caper with a mysterious old man, who revealed himself to be Sir Mystico in disguise, having survived N's betrayal during the Nimbasa City Invasion. Though they refused to tell Tony or Shauntal why they stole Shauntal's typewriter, Mystico and Numera were willing to return it to its proper owner, claiming that they no longer required it. However, though the stolen property was returned, neither Plasma Knight was going to leave until they beat Tony to a pulp for his multiple transgressions against the two.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Shauntal put on her best war-face (which really wasn't terrifying at all) and put herself in-between Tony and Lucky and Numera and Mystico. "If you want to get to him you'll have to go through me."

"That works for us," Numera replied evenly.

Shauntal narrowed her eyes. "You really don't know who you're dealing with," she threatened. "You have no idea of what I'm capable of as a trainer."

"I battled you, remember?" Numera snorted. "I think I've a pretty good idea of your power."

Shauntal smirked dangerously. "Well, then, what if I told you that I was holding back."

"I'd say that that was a feeble bluff," Numera replied.

"Besides," Mystico added, "even if you were holding back, Aggy here has no idea how to work with my Cofagrigus properly! He wasn't fighting at his full strength at all!"

"Meh-heh!" agreed Cofagrigus.

Shauntal pulled out another Pokeball. "Alright, then," she said, "fine. If you want to fight, we'll fight. However, don't say that I didn't warn you."

"Shauntal," Tony cried, "don't! This is my fight!"

Shauntal shook her head, completely unconcerned. "You're not ready for foes of this caliber yet, Tony," she said calmly. "Don't worry – you will be one day. You just need time."

"Time is one thing he ain't got!" Mystico threatened with a smirk. "Ready, Cofagrigus?"

"Meh-heh!"

"Skarmory, battle position," Numera ordered her own Pokemon.

"Skaar!" Skarmory shrieked, sharpening her sword-like wings.

Shauntal popped open her own Pokeballs. "Go, Cofagrigus! Go, Jellicent!"

In a duo of dark violet flashes her Pokemon emerged. The first was her Cofagrigus, a familiar face to all in the car. The second was a large, pink jellyfish Pokemon who floated above the carpeted floor through some mysterious powder, a pair of tiny black and yellow eyes on its large, bloated head. "Jelly!" the creature gurgled, raising her tentacles offensively.

Had the situation not been so dire, Tony would have scanned this creature with his Pokedex. Instead, he focused his attention on Mystico and Numera. "I can't believe I was actually concerned about you two when N backstabbed you!" he shouted.

"Like I said," Numera replied, "we're your enemies, idiot. You'd be wise to remember that… not that you'll have a chance to."

Shauntal shook her head. "You two," she said, "have to be the biggest ingrates I have ever met. Tony was willing to give you a second chance, Numera, and you threw it away. He didn't want to see you get hurt so he voted to allow you to help us in exchange for escape time. And after all of that, you still have the gall to stab him in the back!" Shauntal scowled, a bizarre look on such a soft-looking woman. "Well, we gave you one last chance and you blew it. I'm bringing the two of you in, whether what's left of Team Plasma sends in assassins after you or not!"

"Big talk for such a little woman," Mystico retorted.

"Enough talk, already!" Numera snapped. "We have places to be! Let's wrap this up and get out of here!"

"I agree," Shauntal replied. "Let's finish this. And because I'm feeling generous, I'll let you two have the first attack."

"S-Shauntal…" Tony warned.

"F-freeh!" Lucky cried, knowing from experience that letting them attack at all was a bad idea.

"Fine by us!" Mystico chortled. "Cofagrigus, Shadow Ball!"

"Skarmory!" Numera shouted. "Steel Wing!"

Both Plasma Pokemon shot into action. Cofagrigus formed inky balls of energy in all four of his hands while Skarmory's wings began to glow with a steely aura. With a "Meh-heh!" and a "Skar!" both Pokemon shot forward.

Shauntal's eyes flashed with an amethyst fire as her battle instinct switched on. "Cofagrigus, Psychic on the Shadow Balls, Jellicent, Water Pulse on Skarmory!"

"Meehee!" the female Cofagrigus chortled, raising her hands and freezing the energy balls in the air.

"Jelly!" Jellicent bubbled, blasting away at Skarmory with a burst of water. The attack struck the charging Pokemon and sent her flying back into a row of seats, smashing through the oak, velvet and stuffing.

"Send the Shadow Balls back to him!" Shauntal went on, far from done with this fight.

"Meehee!" her Cofagrigus chortled, waving her hands with a taunting grin at Mystico's shocked Ghost-type. The Shadow Balls he himself had launched shot through the air, exploding as they pounded him with their full force and sent him flying. The male Cofagrigus smashed into his surprised trainer, sending them both to the ground.

"W-what the-?!" Mystico shrieked from underneath his Cofagrigus.

Numera wasn't any better, having gone from confident to terrified in less than five seconds. "S-Skarmory! Stand up!"

"Don't bother," Shauntal ordered the Steel-type Trainer. "You know as well as I do that it can't take any more. Give up now and spare your Pokemon any further pain." Her voice was calm, cold and threatening.

Numera winced, wishing that she had her Hickory-Dex so that she could scan this idiot's Pokemon and see their statistics. "M-Mystico, you moron! Get up!"

Mystico scowled as Cofagrigus finally pulled himself off of him. "Don't shout at me!" he ordered. "And don't call me an idiot!"

Shauntal gave a yawn. "Are you two done yet?" she asked.

Numera scowled. "S-Skarmory, Flash Cannon!"

Skarmory squawked unhappily as she pushed herself through the ruined seats, her steel-coated body glowing brightly as she absorbed light into her body. With an enraged shriek, she aimed at the unconcerned Cofagrigus and fired a sphere of white energy, flashing with a radiance that forced Tony and Shauntal to close their eyes.

"Cofagrigus, Protect," Shauntal ordered calmly.

"Mee!" Cofagrigus trilled, casually raising a hand and forming a protective shield around her body. The Flash Cannonball hit the shield and bounced off, hitting the ceiling and exploding with a blast of light energy.

There was a horrible sound like a cross between metal clanging together and a sonic boom, followed by a series of faint, tiny splashes that were barely audible over the ringing in the ears of those present. When the terrible noise finally cleared, the startled humans looked up and saw the sky above, sun, clouds and everything. The Flash Cannon had blown off the ceiling of the car.

Shauntal moaned, losing her cool demeanor. "D-darn it!" she cried, slapping her forehead. "Ingo and Emmet are going to explode when they see that…"

Numera and Mystico were distressed as well, albeit for completely different reasons. Numera's Skamory gave a weak moan as she fell to the floor, the strain of battle knocking her out.

_I-impossible!_ Numera thought, taking a step back from Shauntal. _T-that was everything Skarmory had… and that Cofagrigus blocked it like it was nothing! I-it's like... a nightmare!_

Mystico was equally disturbed. _I-it's not… Someone with Ghost-types better than mine? I-it can't be! How are we supposed to compete with that kind of power?!_

Tony and Lucky were in complete awe. Not only was Shauntal beating two Plasma Knights – two enemies who could swat him aside as if he were nothing – but she was destroying them with no effort at all! She didn't seem like a serious Pokemon Trainer, but her Pokemon were no slouches when it came to combat.

Shauntal returned her attention to the duo of former Plasmas. "Well, I think we're done here," she told her Pokemon. "Let's wrap this up."

"Jelly!"

"Mee-hee!"

A blast of water and a ball of darkness smashed into the dumbfounded male Cofagrigus, sending him to join his ally Skarmory in unconsciousness. So, the score came to be Shauntal one, Mystico and Numera zero.

Neither ex-Plasma took it well, naturally. They never were good losers.

"I-I-I…" Mystico stuttered.

"How…?" Numera gnashed her teeth. "Illogical! This is illogical!"

Shauntal shrugged. "Illogical or not, it's over."

"Not yet it isn't!" Mystico snapped, snapping his fingers again. "I've a few more Pokemon up my sleeves! Chandelure!"

In a plume of violet flames, a familiar Pokemon appeared in front of Mystico. It was a lantern-shaped creature, with a body that seemed to be made of delicate glass and twisted black arms. A violet flame burned within him, and a pair of yellow eyes stared expressionlessly at Shauntal.

Tony winced, recognizing Mystico's Chandelure, a Ghost/Fire-type Pokemon. Being a Bug-type trainer, he usually felt skittish around Fire-types, especially Fire-types who would be out for his and his Pokemon's blood if Shauntal failed to knock him out.

Thankfully, she didn't fail. Mystico had made a bad choice; both of Shauntal's Pokemon could easily counter his own. Shauntal knew this to be true, and was quick to engage the newest would-be threat. "Water Pulse and Shadow Ball," she ordered.

"Dodge and use Flamethrower!" Mystico countered desperately.

"Lure!" Chandelure droned, shifting rapidly to the side and dodging both attacks. The violet flames within him burned brightly as he unleashed a searing beam of purple fire at the Cofagrigus.

"Cofagrigus!" Shauntal said. "Don't bother with it!"

"What?!" Mystico shouted.

"Meehee!" Shauntal's Cofagrigus snickered, carelessly allowing the Flamethrower to hit her. The fire danced around her, crawling over her body. The Ghost-type chuckled as she flexed her inky arms, the fire dissipating harmlessly. With a wide grin, the Cofagrigus floated over to her trainer, leering at the dumbfounded Mystico and Numera.

The ex-Plasmas had been struck silent. Chandelure's flame turned into a meager spark as he floated nervously to his trainer, keeping a wary eye on Shauntal's own Ghost-types.

Tony gave a breath of relief. If the situation had been so dire he might have felt pretty satisfied seeing Mystico and Numera in suck a shocked state. Every time he had faced them in the past they had made him feel small – insignificant and below their notice, whether it be by Mystico's malicious taunting or Numera's vain sense of superiority. This time it was their turn to feel weak and helpless.

Mystico swallowed. He opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was an unintelligible wheezing noise. His hands were shaking and sweat was dripping down his brow as he stepped warily away from Shauntal, beaten by the much smaller trainer.

Numera was no better. Her jaw hung open for a moment, then closed, then opened and then closed again. Her hands reached for the Pokeballs that hung on her belt, freezing before she could grab any of them. Like it or not, she knew that she was – ugh! – outmatched. It was horrifying – like something out of a nightmare.

Shauntal folded her arms. "It's done," she said.

Both ex-Plasmas slowly nodded, knowing that she was right.

"Cofagrigus, wrap them up," Shauntal ordered.

"Meehee," Cofagrigus said, floating towards the defeated foes.

Clunk!

A metallic canister rolled between Shauntal's legs before popping open in an explosion of vibrant bluish smoke. The cloud filled the air, sending Tony, Shauntal and Lucky into a coughing fit.

It didn't take Tony long to figure out what was going on; Mystico had pulled this trick before. "Get them!" he shouted in-between coughs to Shauntal. "They're going to get away!"

"C-Cofagrigus-!" Shauntal hacked.

It was too late. The smoke vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. When it did, Tony and Shauntal were the only humans left in the room. Mystico and Numera had escaped – _again._

* * *

**Former Plasma Knights' Note:**

**Mystico: "Seriously, kiddies, did you really think that they had us caught? Fat chance!"**

**Numera: "And for the record, we were holding back. There was no reason to waste our Pokemon's maximum power and such insignificant pests."**

**Okay, you two, beat it! And Numera? "Holding back"? Please.**

**Sorry about that, guys. Well, let's not dwell on that. The trouble on the train is finally over, and now Tony can get back to Skyla! You know, provided nothing unforeseen gets in his way…**

**I's usually put a Reader Question Time down here, but I can't think of anything today. Sorry! I'll be sure to have one next time!**

**Thanks for reading! Please review! :D**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	15. In which Shauntal's book begins

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Once again our hero found himself in hot water. Two ex-Plasma Knights, Sir Mystico and Lady Numera, were intent on having revenge against Tony for his past transgressions against them! The Pokemon Trainer Shauntal stepped forward to Tony's defense, ensuring him that the Knights were beyond his skill-level as of now. Then, to the surprise of Tony and the Knights, Shauntal completely destroyed both Mystico and Numera in a brief Pokemon Battle, tossing them aside without any effort as they had done to Gym Leaders and trainers in the past. Before Shauntal could capture the Plasmas, however, a smoke bomb went off, providing valuable cover and time for Mystico and Numera to escape once more!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

The last leg of the train-ride to Virbank City proved to be a melancholy one.

Emmet and Ingo had awakened from their slumber shortly after Mystico and Numera had made their escape, and were greeted with a rude awakening when they stepped out to see the destroyed car and a sheepish-looking Shauntal promising that she could explain.

She did explain… after Emmet fainted and Ingo exploded. Tony had never seen such a stoic-looking man so angry and frantic, and he couldn't ever remember hearing such language before, except maybe that one time when he was five when his mother had stubbed her toe really badly.

Thankfully, eventually Ingo winded down – when confronted by the angry passengers who demanded to know what happened. Ingo and Emmet, who had recovered by that point (though he greatly wished he hadn't) were left to explain to the passengers that there had been thieves aboard the train and they had tried (and failed) to capture them. Not only that, but all that extra travel time had greatly depleted their fuel-stores. Now they really needed to refuel at Virbank.

With the knowledge that they had been delayed for a lost cause, the passengers were angrier still, and Ingo and Emmet had to make a great many promises to calm them down, such as free food on the next trip, no delays, no stops and a free stay at any hotel in Virbank City of their choosing. Needless to say, the brother's wallets would be significantly lighter in the morning. Thank goodness the car itself was ensured.

By sunset, the train was ready to roll once more. It shot off across the Western Unova River in a flash. In the distance, the engineers could see the approaching Virbank City. They announced it to the passengers, lightening the mood and aggression, allowing them to settle down and gather their luggage.

Despite the knowledge that the hardships of the day were at an end, Tony didn't feel better. Even as Ingo's voice informed everyone that Virbank City was five minutes away, he remained silent, deep in morose thought. Even Lucky had given up trying to get his attention.

Stupid. That's what he was. Stupid. Stupid enough to actually think about letting Numera help. He felt weak, too; Shauntal had to defend him from the Plasmas. If she hadn't been here, they would have undoubtedly wiped the floor with him. He and his Pokemon… they had come so far and yet, at this demoralizing moment, he felt as if they had accomplished nothing.

Aunt Sally would explode when she heard that he had been attacked and then he could say goodbye to travelling across Unova. She'd want him to come home the moment she heard Numera and Mystico's names mentioned. Then he wouldn't be able to see Skyla again, or any of the other human friends he had somehow been able to make on his journey.

_Why does this kind of thing always happen to me?_ Tony thought miserably. _It's not fair. I'm not a kid! Shouldn't some kind of super Pokemon Trainer who can solve any problem get all of the danger dumped onto him? Why does I always have to get my nose into everything?_

Shauntal, who had previously been blissfully typing away on her beloved Angelina, saw Tony moping across from her seat. They were sitting in the same car as before, in the same seats as well. It was just this morning that she had been ignoring him in favor of her writing. It was funny, really; she acted as if he hadn't existed so she could focus on her work, yet he had jumped to her aid when her typewriter was stolen, regardless of her treatment on him.

Juniper sure knew how to pick 'em.

"Tony," Shauntal said suddenly. "I wanted to thank you."

"Why?" Tony asked morosely. "I didn't get your typewriter back. If anything, I made things worse."

"No you didn't!" Shauntal scolded, the sudden sharpness of her voice surprising Tony and Lucky. "Let me tell you something, young man. There are many people in this world who would have thrown Numera to the police without a second thought. There are so many people in this world who think people like that – people who make mistakes – no longer classify as human beings." Her eyes flashed. "Well, they're wrong. One of my best friends made horrible decisions when he was younger. He was worse off than those two! Gambling, borrowing money, stealing to pay off his debts, cheating to win, conning innocent people out of their money! He was a thief in every sense of the word, with no regard for the people he stole from."

Shauntal suddenly paused and leaned back in her chair. Tony and Lucky stared intently, waiting for her to continue.

Shauntal sighed. "He was a villain – my villain. We crossed metaphorical swords on more than one occasion. There were times where I wanted nothing more than to throw him into prison – to see him rot there forever, to see him suffer…" She shivered as she spoke, remembering how much she had hated the man. "But… the life of crime he chose caught up with him and he was caught. He served his time and learned his lesson. He even apologized – and he was an enormous egotist, so that really was something!" She shook her head. "Now we work together and we're friends. We have our differences – and he's still really kind of a jerk – but we're friends."

Tony stared for a second. "You have a back story like that," he said, "and you needed to board a train with violent thieves to get any ideas for your book?"

Shauntal blushed. "I… Forget it. Besides," she added, "those thieves were no match for me."

"I noticed," Tony said with a small smile. "You were… Wow, you were amazing! You took them out like they were nothing!" He stared at her curiously. "Are you a Gym Leader?" he asked. She had known him advance, after all, and most Gym Leaders he had come across had.

Shauntal laughed. "M-me? A Gym Leader! Oh, don't be silly. I'm just a Pokemon Trainer – like you."

Tony's face fell. "No. Not like me. I could never have beaten those two. At least not alone with just my Pokemon."

"You can't right now, yes," Shauntal agreed, "but time and training will see that, one day, you'll be able to face any opponent and win. Just don't give up; even the loftiest dreams are possible. I should now." She paused and quickly turned to her typewriter. "Oh, that's a good line," she whispered. "Oh! Inspiration!"

She began to type away in a feverish frenzy once more, closing her mind to anything but writing. Tony saw that he wasn't going to get any more from her. Feeling a bit better about the events from earlier, he leaned back in his chair and waited patiently with Lucky to arrive in Virbank City. There, they would find the Pokemon Center, sleep, and take the train in the morning.

* * *

Shauntal's fingers glided across her smooth, bronze keys. Inky black words popped into existence on the pure white paper, the outline of a story slowly coming into existence.

_"The following story is true. The names were changed to protect the innocent._

_"It was a cooling summer evening when I arrived at the Nimbasa Express. The great steam train stood in the bustling station, made of cold black metal and spewing dark smoke like some great dragon of legend. The loudmouthed conductor began to shout the typical line "All aboard!" as he checked his pocket-watch, eternally terrified of being late…_

_"I love train rides, but I 'm not here for pleasure. A wealthy baroness, an acquaintance of mine, has been threatened by mysterious letters, with promises that there was going to be an attempt to steal her precious, antique typewriter. Normally, I wouldn't take such a tiny case. After all, a typewriter's just a typewriter. But the Baroness Amethyst has a pretty, pleading face and way with words. She also has a nearly bottomless pocketbook; money doesn't come regularly to a guy like me._

_"Of course, this isn't about the money or a beautiful – scratch that, gorgeous lady in distress. A thief who sends a letter, stating what he or she is going to do, is a cock-sure criminal. It can only be one person – my enemy and the enemy of my mentor, Professor Amelia Calculus, world-renowned genius, master of disguise and infamous thief. We've clashed many times in the past; my victories, the few that come to me, are bittersweet. Foiled though she may be, my nemesis always has a back-up plan, and those back-up plans usually involve me cornered in an alley with a vicious Bisharp ready to give me a haircut I'd never forget._

_"But something tells me that today is a new day. Today, I know, I'm going to bring Calculus in. Maybe then my almost-ladyfriend, the beautiful pilot Wendy Airheart will start answering my calls. Even the loftiest dreams are possible, I suppose. _

_"And so, once again, we walk into the Persian's den. My partner is my Butterfree, Lady Luck – A beautiful Bug-type Pokemon from Kanto with a penchant for finding clues. I'm from Kanto, too. My name is Anthony – Anthony Waller. People call me (among other things) the Butterfree Kid. I carry a badge; I'm a detective. I'm a good detective, too, despite what you may have heard of me. I've never let my customer down… when it really mattered, anyways._

_"I showed the conductor my ticket. First class; the baroness was either very generous or trying to show off. Either way, I got plush seats and gourmet cooking, so I was fine. I boarded the train and made my way to the baroness's car…_

_"It was hard not to feel inferior to the baroness. Her violet dress was made from pure Sewaddle silk. My green suit was made from cotton. Her hands were covered in dark, velvet gloves, her fingers dotted with diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald and pearl rings. My fingers are lucky to even be clean. Her short cut, purple hair is nearly trimmed and smells like plums. My hair is unruly, dirty golden stuff, which smells like whatever cheap shampoo I could afford that morning. Her neck is decorated with necklaces and gold chains, along with a feathered boa made from the feathers of Swanna. Some people might call her gaudy; I think those people are jealous: the Baroness Amethyst is quite the looker. If I wasn't already (sort of) involved with another woman (and if I thought I actually had a chance, which I don't) I might have tried to woo her. Yes, I'd probably fail, but I'd try._

_"She smiled politely, though not without a tinge or nervousness. I kissed her hand (she didn't revile me for that) and got straight to business…"_

* * *

Shauntal looked away from her typewriter. Sitting by the side was a pile of paper that was steadily growing taller and taller. A silly grin split her face as she looked over to Tony, opening her mouth to tell him to look at what he had helped create. However, she was too late; Tony and Lucky had fallen asleep, unaware that in another world they were currently in the middle of a case involving a beautiful heiress and a diabolical mastermind – _again_.

Shauntal smiled and returned to her writing, promising to send Tony a copy when she was done.

As she began to type once more, she finally noticed the drawer. At the very base of the typewriter, there was a small, rectangular slot that had been opened. Shauntal's eyes went wide; she had never noticed that before…

She gently pulled the tiny compartment open, wondering if anything was inside. Nothing; it was empty.

Shauntal frowned. She had owned this typewriter for years. Her family had owned it for generations. How come she had never noticed this tiny drawer?

_Mysterious… I should ask Grimsley about this…_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Special thanks to my older sister, who helped me edit this chapter despite the fact she doesn't care for Pokemon! :D**

**Show of hands: who wants to see an alternate universe story where Tony and Lucky are detectives? I know I do! **

**Well, I hope we all enjoyed our little trip into Shauntal's psyche. And no, she isn't writing erotic vampire novels. Thank you very much, …**

**Reader Question Time! Seriously, would you like to see a Tony detective AU?**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	16. An Undeserved Respite

**Last time on Unova Grand Tour...**

**Tony was feeling down after his hopes to repent Numera for Professor Juniper's sake were crushed, and Shauntal was forced to save him from two vengeful ex-Plasma Knights. Shauntal gave Tony a pep talk, telling him that she thought he was very brave to try and turn Numera back to the light, whereas most people would likely attack her without a second thought. Tony fell asleep, feeling much better, and Shauntal got to work on her newest detective novel, secretly basing the main character off of Tony himself! As she got to work, she noticed that her typewriter had a tiny drawer on the base, a small compartment she had never noticed before…**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Unova was an immensely vast region. Sprawling forests still covered a good deal of land, many of them mostly uncharted, dark and mysterious. In one such forest there was a cave. In that cave was a bickering duo of wanted criminals.

"Well, I certainly hope you're proud of yourself! The entire mission nearly fell apart because of your blundering!"

"My blundering?! You're the one who left the gauze at the scene of the crime!"

"Yeah, well _you're_ the one who got recognized by some nobody and that kid!"

"Which allowed me to lead them astray so that you could steal the typewriter, which, by the way, you took your sweet time with!"

Mystico and Numera had been allies for almost five years now. Just because they were allies, however, did not mean they were friends in any sense of the word. In fact, the two hated one another. Mystico was playful, relatively jovial and driven by his emotions. Numera was cold, logical and driven by her own personal gain. Needless to say, these two differing personalities mixed as well as oil and water.

There were other aspects, too; Mystico knew Numera's real name, Agatha, and he knew of her cute southern drawl, which he loved to taunt her about. Numera, in turn, found Mystico's high-pitched, caw-like voice to be incredibly grating, and took every opportunity to remind him of it. Of course, then came the fact that Numera had been accepted into Driftveil Academy, one of the top-ranking schools in the region, whereas Mystico hadn't even attended high-school. Clearly, Numera was the intellectual superior – she should have been in charge! – and yet the Plasma King N had the gall to put them on equal terms.

It was that little fact that made Numera almost happy that she was no longer a Plasma.

So, the two were at it again, arguing like children. Arguments seemed to come more and more frequently to them nowadays. They had been left for dead by their "king" who would undoubtedly not appreciate the fact that they had survived. Occasionally, thoughts of returning to Team Plasma surfaced in their minds, but the thought of death kept them from ever doing it. The Plasma King had failed to kill them the first time; no need to provoke him into trying again.

Besides, the two had a new employer now. A new employer who would incapacitate them if they ever tried to join Team Plasma again.

It was midnight when said employer finally showed up. Mystico and Numera had been arguing all evening, both of them enraged by their failed attempt to put Tony into his place and their subsequent brutal defeat at the hands of Shauntal.

"Excuse me!" their benefactor called as he entered the cave, his proud voice echoing in the darkness. "Is this really a good time to be arguing? After all, we're safe for the moment!"

Nicholas the hiker stepped up to the two ex-Plasmas, smiling widely though nervously.

Numera scowled. "Where have you been?!" she demanded

"Just making sure my friend arrived at the Virbank City Pokemon Center safely. Then I had to walk all the way out here to find you two," Nicholas said. His normally friendly face twisted into an alien grimace. "You shouldn't have done that," he reprimanded the two.

"Done what?" Mystico asked, annoyed.

"Attacked Tony!" Nicholas said coldly. "You had no reason to try and harm him."

"He works for that traitor, Juniper," Numera said with a disgusted sneer. "He has the nerve to oppose _me_, his mental superior." She snorted. "I was ten times the protégée than he'll ever be."

"Besides, he's in the Pokemon League," Mystico added irritably. "The kid deserved a good beating to remind him of his place."

Nicholas sighed, rubbing his brow. "You two…" he groaned. "This will not happen again," he decided firmly. "I will not allow you to attack people at random! Innocent lives may have been lost, and don't tell me that you wouldn't care!"

Mystico twitched. "So you expect us to just let that brat walk away?!" he demanded.

"Yes, I do," Nicholas replied bravely. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Mystico's entire body trembled with rage. He was just about to tell Nicholas what he thought of him when he suddenly froze. A flash of something fast passed by the entrance of the cave, too small to be a human worth worrying about. He swallowed, knowing that he was being watched by another, another who would turn him inside out if he laid a finger on Nicholas. "F-forget it…" he said somberly, never having felt so pitiful in his entire life.

Numera had no desire to be on the receiving end of Nicholas's friend's wrath either. "Fine," she snipped, maintaining an air of pseudo-confidence. "That Miller brat wasn't worth my time anyway."

Nicholas smiled sadly but gratefully. "Thank you," he said. "Now, the mission?"

"Was a complete success. You were right; that Shauntal lady…" – Mystico paused and hissed spitefully, remembering the beating his friends had experienced at her hands – "did in fact have the correct typewriter." He tossed Nicholas a piece of paper, covered with the foreign symbols that had been on Angelina's keys, used by the Plasma Knight to crack the code. "Numera's research…" – he hissed again – "was correct."

"As always," Numera boasted, flipping back her hair.

Mystico bit back a sarcastic comment and went on. "The combination we found worked. I opened the safe of the typewriter and found this." He held out a small, metallic canister.

For months now Nicholas had waited for this day. He and his unwilling allies had spent hour after hour wearing disguises and sneaking about museums, libraries and archives to find the information they needed. Anything to help Nicholas's mysterious friend – the same friend who would dominate Mystico and Numera if they tried anything to harm Nicholas.

The hours were long and hard. Mystico and Numera's faces were still well-known about Unova, and there were times where they had had some extremely close calls with someone who thought they recognized who the former Plasma Knights were. They had to pose as tourists and, on some gag-worthy occasions, honeymooners to get by.

Did it all pay off? Well, we'll see.

Nicholas had a friend – a powerful friend. A friend that he wanted to protect from what was left of Team Plasma. A friend he was certain the Plasmas would exploit if they discovered its location.

Nicholas had been a Plasma once, like Numera and Mystico. He had left shortly before the two entered the organization, when it became clear that the Plasmas were not exactly the messengers of peace he had thought them to be. Now, he was a traitor to the organization with a secret that Ghetsis had wanted, dooming him to be forever on the run.

Nicholas mentally shivered. Somehow, even though he was on his way to prison, Ghetsis still frightened him. The charismatic Arch-Sage was a dangerous man. A dangerous man who, Nicholas was certain, did not have the best interests of Pokemon in mind.

He shook it off as he finally noticed the impatient looks Numera and Mystico were casting his way. With trembling hands, he slowly took the cylinder from Mystico's hands. They had been searching for this tiny container for months now: a tiny, hidden note from Augustus Shikimi, Shauntal's ancestor and builder of her typewriter. Shauntal had known that the typewriter had been in her family for generations, but what she didn't know was that he had designed Angelina with a secondary purpose in mind; a clue for Nicholas' friend. The secret of unlocking his friend's true power… a secret long, long forgotten.

Nicholas popped open the tin and emptied its contents into his hand. A tiny, rolled up piece of paper fell into his palm, and he quickly unrolled it to reveal… musical notes.

Numera stared wordlessly. Her studies had been focused on useful subjects, not anything artistic and whimsical like music of all things. "What on earth is _that_?" she asked. "We did all of this for… musical notes? T-three musical notes?!"

Mystico, being the more artistically inclined, raised an eyebrow, controlling his temper better than Numera had. "What does it mean?" he asked.

Nicholas smiled in a knowing way. "I… I have a feeling that these little notes are something very important. Hohoho…" He turned to his fellow ex-Plasmas. "You've both done well," he said. "Of course, the escape was all me." He tried hard not to sound proud, but there was a bit of pride in his town. "I thik you two have earned a reward, but all I can offer is you is a day or two of rest."

"Rest?" Numera scowled as she leaned against the wall of the cave. "Oh, yes, this is a perfect vacation. Sleeping in a cave without blankets. We don't even have anything to…"

A bright flash of psychokinetic energy exploded above the ex-Plasmas, quickly sending them back to their exhausted feet.

"Melo!" a melodic voice whispered from the violet star.

The radiance faded, vanishing as soon as it appeared. When it finally faded away, Mystico and Numera were left speechless and frantic. They had never been used to the comings and goings of Nicholas' friend – whatever it was.

It didn't take them long to see the handmade leaf satchel, filled with various edible berries and roots.

Numera looked to Nicholas with an expressionless face. "H-how…?"

"My friend," Nicholas explained with a smile, "can read minds, remember? She knew you were hungry."

"She was right!" Mystico declared, rubbing his hands together and sitting down by the satchel. "Dinner's on," he declared, his Cofagrigus and Chandelure materializing into existence behind him, eagerly awaiting their own dinner. Numera quickly joined them, releasing her Skarmory for the meal.

The ex-knights and their Pokemon dug into their dinner, their fears and frustrations, and even their rivalry, forgotten for the moment. Nicholas smiled, happy to have some peace of mind. _Thank you,_ he thought.

_You're welcome,_ whispered a soft voice in his head.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Looks like Nicholas and the ex-Plasmas have a guardian angel! They'll need all the help they can get to make it through the troubles and trials that lay ahead…**

**So, what could those musical notes mean…?**

**Reader Question Time! If Tony was a Pokemon, which Pokemon do you think he'd be? Answer after you review! :D**

**Like I said before, if everyone who faved this story reviewed I'd have at least fifty reviews per chapter. Please do so! :D**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	17. Virbank City

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**The former Plasma Knights Sir Mystico and Lady Numera met up with their mysterious benefactor: none other than the friendly hiker Nicholas! It was revealed that the antique typewriter known as Angelina served a purpose other than writing. As it turns out, the typewriter was also a safe for an ancient parchment, over three hundred years old, with three mysterious musical notes on it! Though the ex-Plasmas were confused as to what this small piece of paper was for, Nicholas showed a strange understanding of the parchment's true meaning. Meanwhile. Nicholas' mysterious friend, an unknown Pokemon of amazing Psychic power, teleported in a collection of fruits and edible roots for the former Plasmas, allowing them to eat dinner in the safety of an unmapped cave.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Morning arrived in Virbank City. The sun rose in the greyish sky, barely visible behind the clouds. A merciful, gentle breeze blew through the air, almost cool enough to make you forget it was summer.

Virbank was one of the newer cities of Unova, built only a decade or two before Tony arrived. It was a portside town, built specifically to house the thousands of goods that were traded between Unova and the rest of the Pokemon World.

It was hardly a popular tourist attraction. People rarely came to Virbank for anything but business or to use the Virbank Ferry to travel to Castelia City for a reasonable fee. The town was relatively unremarkable, save for the fact that many foreign Pokemon, such as Magnemite and Growlithe, had made their homes near the port, hiding in the tall grass surrounding the town.

As mentioned before, Virbank had a train station. They rarely used it for anything save for cargo, but it was functional enough for Ingo and Emmet. Bright and early in the morning, the duo of brothers ushered the moody passengers back onto the train. Both Subway Bosses were exhausted, having spent all night and early morning preparing for this journey, cooking their guests a breakfast buffet in the dining car to appease their anger. Thankfully, it's hard to be angry with anyone when you're stuffed with biscuits and guzzling orange juice, so Ingo and Emmet were forgiven.

The Nimbasa Express blared its horn as its wheels began to grind against the steel tracks. Slowly but surely, the bullet-shaped train rolled away from Virbank Station, pulling its happy passengers along to the entertainment capital of Unova, Nimbasa City!

That was the good news. The bad news? Tony wasn't on the train.

"H-hey! Wait! Wait up!"

Booted feet pounded the paved platform as Tony chased after the retreating Nimbasa Express, he and Lucky frantically waving their arms in a desperate plea to get someone's attention. "Wait for us!" the bug-catcher begged.

"Freeh!" Lucky cried in agreement.

The Nimbasa Express honked its horn, as if to mock the two. It picked up speed and shot into the coast -side forests, leaving the unfortunate Tony and Lucky behind.

Tony gave an exasperated sigh and fell to his knees. "T-thanks for nothing!" he shouted angrily, waving his fist at the disappeared train.

"Freeh!" Lucky shouted bitterly, mimicking Tony's action.

Well, shouting made them feel a wee bit better, but it didn't help them. All they could do was wander dejectedly to the ticket booth and ask when the next train to Nimbasa was.

"A passenger train to Nimbasa?" The ticket woman popped her gum before sucking it back into her mouth and chewing it again. "No passenger trains," she said, playing with a lock of her black hair with a bored expression on her face.

"Y-you can't be serious…" Tony moaned.

"We take cargo," the girl said drily. "Passenger trains usually don't come around here. Sorry." She popped her gum again.

"Then why do they even bother to set up a ticket booth! Why do they bother to pay you?" Tony asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

The girl shrugged and popped her gum again.

* * *

Well, wasn't this just peachy? Trapped in a strange town you've never been to before with the only way to get back to Western Unova denied to you. Wonderful!

Tony's face could gave curdled fresh milk as he wandered through the paved streets of Virbank, wondering what to do. Lucky was no better off than he was; not because she wanted to go to Nimbasa City, of course, but because they'd have to find another way to get there, one that probably involved a whole lot of walking. She had been looking forward to having someone drive them for once.

If Tony hadn't been in such a horrible mood he might have enjoyed himself a little. The clouds were starting to clear up, and it was beginning to look like a beautiful day out. However, a metaphorical thundercloud floated over his head, dooming him to ignorance of the beautiful day unfolding around him in the admittedly beautiful town.

"What should we do now?" Tony finally asked Lucky. "We can't swim across the river; the current's too rough and it's way too far for me to swim."

"Freeh," Lucky muttered with a tiny shrug.

Tony rubbed his suddenly aching forehead, feeling a bit angry with Emmet and Ingo. After all the trouble he and Lucky had gone through with that train caper, they had forgotten to wake him up and tell him it was time to go? Maybe he should write a complaint to their boss…

Tony sighed. No. That wouldn't help anyone… Just being angry wasn't going to help him. He'd have to try and find some way to get out of here and reach Nimbasa City.

"Freeh?" Lucky suddenly froze, hovering in midair as a glowing neon sign caught her eye. "Freeh!" she called to Tony.

"Not now, Lucky…" Tony muttered.

Lucky gave an angry sigh; Tony could be so thick-headed sometimes! She flew over to her trainer and grabbed his head with her tiny arms, forcing him to look at what she had seen.

In between two buildings, crammed into a stuffed alleyway, was a small, ugly grey building. What caught his and Lucky's attention, however, was the violet neon sign sitting on the roof, portraying a strange symbol that looked like a cross between a thunderbolt and a Pokeball: the official symbol of the Pokemon League. Underneath the sigh, mounted on a wall, was a grey plaque with the words "Virbank City Pokemon Gym and Rock Club" carved into it.

Tony's eyes brightened a little as he and Lucky rushed over to the gym. A poster was hung on the wall by the door, reading "Grand Opening today! Pokemon Gym open from 9:00 A.M. to 3: P.M. Rock club open on Friday and Saturday from 9:00 P.M. to Midnight! Rock on!" It was a little past eight-thirty, but the doors were opened.

"A Pokemon Gym? Here?" Tony asked, surprised. A slow smile crossed his face. Maybe a little Pokemon Battle would cheer him up. Besides, wouldn't it be cool to be the first person to ever battle and beat a new Gym Leader? "Sounds cool…" he admitted. "Hey, Lucky, wanna give it a try?"

"Freeh!" Lucky agreed, happy to see her trainer slightly more optimistic now.

"Alright! Let's give it a try, then!" And with that, Tony stepped inside the tiny building and gently stepped down the stairs inside, descending into a dark, grimy tunnel.

* * *

The Virbank Gym/Rock Club was actually built into the basement of another building, who was charging the new Gym Leader rent until he or she could afford a gym of his or her own. The rent was dirt-cheap, though; no one in the town wanted a rock club to be above ground, where they could hear the shrieking music playing all night. If it was underground, they had several feet of earth and concrete to nullify the noise. While the entrance was only a tiny shack of worn, graffiti-coated concrete the gym itself was much larger. Sadly, it didn't look much better than the entrance.

The gym was barely kept lit by a few lights attached to the ceiling, occasionally flickering as Tony stepped inside. The walls were unpainted and covered with graffiti of skulls and crossbones (maybe it was a pirate dungeon themed gym?). The battlefield was pretty basic, wrestling ring-like in design, with a purple and white Pokeball in the center. A large stage was set in the back, covered with tangled wires and massive speakers. A few round tables were scattered about the place, and they were probably the cleanest things in the whole gym, if only because people would be eating off of them.

Please understand, Tony wasn't trying to be snobby or anything. He just had rather high-standards when it came to the Unova Gyms. After all, the Striaton Gym had been a five-star restaurant as well as a gym. The Nacrene City Gym had been a museum and the Castelia Gym had been… a Combee hive, filled with walls made of honey.

Okay, this was definitely better than the Castelia Gym. Tony shivered and took every bad thought about this place back. The point was, the other two Gym were, well, clean. This was not clean. This was… well, a basement.

Well, he wouldn't be staying too long.

Tony opened his mouth to call for the Gym Leader when suddenly there was a horrible, screeching blast of noise. The speakers boomed as someone slashed a pick across metallic strings, a might sonic blast echoing throughout the gym.

Tony screamed and fell onto his rear, clenching his aching ears unhappily as Lucky plopped to the ground, convulsing with agony as she realized her arms were too tiny to reach up to her head.

Mercifully, someone noticed him. "Hey! Who're you?"

"WHAT?" Tony shouted, his ears still ringing.

A massive bald man wearing a black jacket leaped down from the dark stage, a pair of drumsticks in his hands. "Who're you!?" he shouted.

"WHAT?!" Tony asked, gesturing to his ear.

The man grabbed Tony by the collar. "WHO ARE YOU!?" he shouted into his ear.

Well, that one Tony heard! "MY NAME IS TONY!" he shouted back. "I CAME HERE TO CHALLENGE THE GYM LEADER!"

"OH!" the man said. "MY NAME IS NICKY! I'M PART OF THE CHIEF'S BAND!"

"NICE TO MEET YOU!" Tony said.

"YEAH, LIKEWISE!" Nicky replied.

"WHAT WAS THAT NOISE FROM BEFORE?" Tony asked.

"THAT WAS BILLY JO!" Nicky said, gesturing to the stage.

By now a teenaged girl with deathly-pale skin, dyed black hair strung up in a ponytail, and a blood red dress had leaped off the stage, carrying a black and white guitar or bass (Tony didn't know how to tell them apart) that was assuredly the source of Tony and Lucky's agony. She had a ridiculous amount of piercings: three on each ear, one in her nose and one more ring on her lip. "What are you two yelling about?" she asked. Tony saw a flash of silver inside her mouth, meaning that she likely had a tongue piercing, too.

"THIS IS… I mean, uh, this is Tony," Nicky said, holding Tony up by his shirt and shaking him for effect. "He's here to challenge the Chief to a Pokemon battle."

"Oh…" Billy Jo smirked. "The first victim, huh?" she asked Tony.

Tony's ears finally stopped ringing. "Y-yeah," he said, shaking his head as the buzzing faded away.

"Well, don't you worry," Nicky replied. "The Chief will be here to give ya a good thrashing in a few minutes."

"G-good to know," Tony said. "What type of Pokemon does she use?" he asked, dreading a potential fight with an all-Fire-type team."

"Poison-types," Billy Jo replied. "Her Pokemon won't even have to attack ya once you're Pokemon are sick with poison."

Tony nodded. Poison-types. That ruled Clover out, but meant that Lucky, Strike and Rock Candy would be his best choices. "Alright, then," he said, "sounds doable."

Both rockers sniggered at his careless tone. "Better watch it, squirt," Nicky said, finally setting Tony down. "The Chief ain't a softie. She's pasted bigger guys than you before."

"And she hates to lose, too," Billy Jo added. "If you win, she'll freaking explode and make you wish you had lost."

"Sore loser?" Tony shrugged. "Meh," he said simply.

The rockers lost their smirks. This kid really didn't know what he was getting into, did he? Well, fine. Let him get pasted. Then he'd see just how tough the Chief was!

Speaking of the Chief…

The door to the shot open and slammed shut. "Billy Jo! Nicky!" a high-pitched and enraged voice shrieked. "Where are you guys?!"

"We're here, Chief!" Billy Jo called, shrinking back a little.

"Your first challenger is here!" Nicky added. "Snot-nosed little punk with a Butter-something."

"Butterfree," Tony corrected, twitching a little at the "snot-nosed little punk line."

The insult was quickly forgotten when Tony finally saw the Chief. At first, he thought he was seeing things, that his vision was distorted by the dimness. However, as she stepped clover, to sets of electric blues eyes shot open wide in unison.

The oversized purple and turquoise shirt. The black platform boots. The garlic-shaped hair. Tony rubbed his eyes. "It's… you?!" he exclaimed.

Roxie Homika, newly-christened Gym Leader of Virbank City, scowled, baring her fangs. "You!" she shrieked, snarling at Tony.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Left behind in a strange city you know next to nothing about and encountering an old rival with a hunger for revenge? This is not Tony's day…**

**Roxie's back, baby! For such an obnoxious girl, I do love her design. And for those of you who haven't read Pokemon Black and White: Tony's Journey, don't worry: I will explain in great detail what happened between Tony and Roxie. If you'd rather see it for yourself, go ahead. She's only really in one chapter. **

**Reader Question Time! The man who makes it doesn't want it. The man who buys it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it. What is it? Answer after you review, and no cheating!**

**Roxie: "Review, you scum-sucking, paste-eating…" (Gets pushed aside by Coli Chibi.)**

**Uh… review. Just ignore Roxie at all times.**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	18. Tony vs Roxie!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony was left behind in Virbank City! As he and Lucky wandered the streets and searched for a way to reach Nimbasa City, they came across the newly opened Virbank City Gym and Rock Club! Tony rushed inside to be the first to face the Gym Leader – who turned out to be none other than Roxie Homika, an obnoxious girl rocker who has a grudge against Tony!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

As mentioned previously, in his journey across Unova Tony had come across some interesting people. Some people he remembered fondly. Others he would have liked to forget. Roxie Homika fell into the latter.

About a month and a half ago, Tony had entered the First Nimbasa Pokemon Tournament (called the N1 for short) in hopes of battling Gym Leader Elesa on national television. His first opponent had been Roxie, a girl who Tony's friend Skyla had warned was a sore loser and had a horrible attitude.

Skyla's advice was an understatement. Roxie had been rude, threatening and insulting. Before the battle she called Tony a bug and had threatened to squash him, and when the battle was over she had to be dragged off by security. Needless to say, Tony had not planned on running into her again.

And yet, here she was. An actual factual Gym Leader. Tony wondered who in their right mind would actually put her in a position where she'd have to deal with young, easily heartbroken trainers.

Tony recognized Roxie and Roxie recognized Tony. Sadly, her temper hadn't cooled in the slightest since her first loss. "What are you doing here?!" she snarled, stepping closer to her opponent.

Tony swallowed and tried to look brave. "I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader," he replied politely. "That's you, right?"

"And who else would it be!?" Roxie snapped. She glared viciously at Billy Jo and Nicky, who, despite being older, shrank back in terror. "Why the heck did you two pinheads let him in!?" she demanded.

"H-he's a challenger…" Billy Jo said meekly.

"He's the runt who lucked-out against me at the N1!" Roxie snapped. "You two told me you watched my match, so why didn't you recognize him!?"

Both of Roxie's bandmates shuffled uncomfortable, thinking of any excuse to give.

Roxie gave a long, hissing sigh. "Idiots," she rasped. Turning her attention back to Tony, she said, "Well, here you are again, ready to face me in battle. Last time you may have won but this time's gonna be different! I'm gonna drive you into the ground!" she promised.

Tony raised his hands. "Okay, okay," he exclaimed, "calm down. You're turning red."

"I'll be as red as I want!" Roxie screamed. She pointed above the stage, to a simple scoreboard marked "Roxie" and "Challenger." Both names had a big zero underneath them. "You see that? That's my scoreboard! By the end of today, there's gonna be a big number one underneath my name, showing everyone that you're a loser!" She folded her arms and huffed, calming down slightly. "Now get up on the platform and let's start! You caught me in a bad mood today, and you're gonna regret it!"

Tony nodded, trying very, very hard not to feel insulted. "Alright," he said awkwardly, "let's, uh, get it started. Good luck?" he offered as politely as he dared.

Roxie snarled. "Luck is for losers! Good luck."

* * *

"Alright… PLAY MY MUSIC!"

Roxie's voice shrieked throughout the gym, signaling a loud rock anthem from her bandmates. Before she got onto the stage Roxie had selected a purple and black electric guitar, her pale fingers strumming across it as her "music" announced the beginning of the Gym Battle. Billy Jo was playing her bass and Nicky was banging on the drums.

Billy Jo took up her microphone. "Good morning, Virbank!" she shouted. Then, she actually started _singing_:

_"The battle between Roxie,_

_And some puny little snot,_

_Will now begin, so give a hand_

_For the brave challenger…"_

"Not!" Roxie finished, jamming on her own guitar.

_"Each side will use two Pokemon,_

_And the challenger can switch…"_

"Why are you singing?!" Tony shouted over the din. Lucky, who was hovering at his side, was squealing unhappily at the horrible noise humans called music.

"What?" Billy Jo asked, unable to hear him.

"WHY ARE YOU SINGING?!" Tony shouted, louder this time.

The music came to a dead halt. "Well… We're a band," Billy Jo explained simply. "We perform music. It's what we do."

Tony sweat-dropped. "Yeah but…" _Your lyrics… They're… did you guys even rehearse? _he thought.

"Shut up!" Roxie ordered. "Keep playing!" she told Billy and Nicky.

The music started up again and Roxie took the mike. Mercifully she didn't sing. "Alright, you little brat!" she snapped. "Like Billy was saying! Each side can use only two Pokemon! I'm feeling generous, so you can switch out if you get scared! The winner (that's me!) will be the one who knocks out all of her opponent's Pokemon! Simple rules, right? You think you got 'em?"

Tony rolled his eyes from his place on the platform. "I've got them," he said.

"Good! Take it Billy Jo!" Roxie ordered.

Billy Jo threw her head back and began a long and glorious bass number, Nicky pounding on the drums in unison. Roxie stopped playing and pulled a Pokeball, grinning manically as she released her first Pokemon. "Koffing, crush 'em!"

A bright violet flash announced the entrance of a round, floating Pokemon. Its body was lavender in color, limbless and almost completely featureless, save for a grinning face and a skull and crossbones mark below it. Poisonous fumes poured from lumpy pores in his skin, filling the air with a noxious scent.

"A Koffing…" Tony recognized the Pokemon but pulled out his trust Pokedex anyways.

**"Koffing**

**Classification: The Poison Gas Pokemon**

**Type: Poison**

**This specimen's gender: Female**

**Ability: Levitate**

**Description: Koffing are Pokemon native to the Kanto and Johto regions, though some have migrated to Unova. These Pokemon feed off of noxious fumes produced by humans. Though usually received without any enthusiasm, Koffing are beneficial to the environment, happily devouring smog and cleaning the air. When happy, Koffing release a pleasant aroma. When angered, they unleash a horrible stench! Because they seem to always be grinning, it can be hard to discern its mood.**

**Threat-level: Moderate. Approach with caution and don't make it mad!"**

Tony pulled out a Pokeball of his own. "Alright," he said, "my turn! Go, Rock Candy!"

Tony's first Pokemon landed in the ring with an audible thud. Rock Candy grinned as she popped out of her bust-shell, sharpening her orange pincers. "Dweeb."

"As the Gym Leader, I get the first move!" Roxie declared.

Tony gaped. "T-that's not how it works!" he shouted; every other Gym Leader he had battled let _him _go first…

"Who died and made you Gym Leader?!" Roxie snapped. "Koffing, use Smog!"

"Coffee!" Koffing gasped as she released a noxious cloud of purple smog at Rock Candy.

"Rock Candy, use Dig!" Tony countered.

"Dweeb!" Rock Candy giggled as she spun about like a drill, burrowing into the battlefield.

"H-hey!" Roxie snapped as the gas cleared, revealing the hole Rock Candy had left behind. "I just had that ring painted, you inconsiderate moron!" she shrieked, her voice drowning out the music for a second.

Tony ignored her. "Alright, girl, get 'er!"

The ground beneath the confused Koffing shook before exploding in a shower of concrete and dust. Rock Candy smirked smugly as she sailed through the air, claws outstretched as she aimed for her Poison-type target.

Koffing stared for a second before simply floating up, dodging the tackling Bug/Rock-type. Rock Candy's look of triumph turned to one of surprise as she landed face-first on the ground. "D-dweeb!" she cried out, humiliated.

"Coffee!" chuckled Koffing, spewing a burst of perfume with every guffaw.

"Darn it!" Tony exclaimed, as embarrassed as Rock Candy was. "I forget that Koffing has Levitate…" He snapped his fingers; Levitate was a Pokemon special ability that allowed any Pokemon, even if they couldn't fly, to float off the ground, giving them an advantage against Ground-type attacks.

"Gotcha!" Roxie taunted, snapping her fingers. "Koffing, Tackle!"

"Coffee!" Koffing wheezed as she slammed her body into the stunned Rock Candy's back, sending the Dwebble sliding across the ring.

"Rock Candy!" Tony cried.

"Hah!" Roxie mocked. "You're not so tough!"

Rock Candy scowled, digging her claws into the battlefield and bringing herself to a stop. She back-flipped around to face Koffing. The Poison-type looked surprised to see her still standing, as did her trainer.

Rock Candy smirked again and gestured for the Koffing to bring it. "Dweeb."

Koffing scowled, a horrible odor exploding from her pores. "Coffee!" she shouted, insulted by whatever it was that Rock Candy had said.

Tony gave a breath of relief; it was going to take more than a measly Tackle attack to bring Rock Candy down. "Alright, Rock Candy!" he cheered. "Let's try something new! Use Rock Slide!"

Rock Candy's eyes flashed as she smashed her claws into the ground, ripping out a huge boulder out from the ground. "Dweeb!" she roared, lifting the rock, easily three times her size, over her head.

"I – just – had – that – painted!" Roxie screamed again.

Rock Candy ignored the enraged Gym Leader and tossed the rock into the air. It exploded with a roar of crumbling stone, raining down on the surprised Koffing. "Coffee!" the Poison-type cried miserably as she was quickly buried by a horrible avalanche. Before long, she was completely covered in stone and rubble.

"No!" Roxie shouted. "Koffing, get up!"

The rock pile shuddered briefly and then went still. Tony licked his lips as he waited for his enemy to get up and continue or give up and pass out. If she was already too weak to go on there was no need to waste Rock Candy's energy to attack her. So, he waited patiently and hoped that the first round was over.

It wasn't. There was a sudden burst of noxious fumes and the peak of the rubble mountain exploded like a poison-spewing volcano. Koffing slowly floated out, angered but badly hurt by Rock Candy's attack. "Coffee…" she growled.

Roxie grinned. "Hah!" she taunted. "You didn't think a low-level attack like that would stop us, did you!?"

Tony frowned but didn't answer the Gym Leader; no need to fuel her anger anymore. "Rock Candy, let's wrap this up," he said.

"Dweeb," Rock Candy agreed with a nod.

Roxie's mind was racing to think of something she could do. She gritted her teeth and rubbed her brow, hissing slightly. _Why?! Why doesn't Koffing know any moves that are good against a Rock-type!? _"Rrrgh!" she growled aloud. _Guess I'll just have to go with my Toxic Shock strategy! I can't believe this runt's forced me to do this… _

"Rock Candy, Rock Slide again!" Tony shouted suddenly.

Roxie's eyes went wide as she returned to reality. "No! Koffing, dodge and use Smog again!"

The Pokemon snapped into action in almost perfect unison. Rock Candy ripped another chunk of rock out from the ground and unleashed an avalanche of stone on Koffing, who just managed to dodge and charge the Bug/Rock-type, her mouth wide open and belching poison.

"Protect!" Tony ordered.

Rock Candy shot into her shell and created a glowing blue force-field just as Koffing unleashed her horrible attack. Dark grey smog flooded the battlefield, but Rock Candy remained safe within her shell, protected from the attack.

Roxie gaped as the smoke cleared and saw that her foe was still unharmed. "N-not again!" she cried.

"Slash!" Tony shouted to Rock Candy.

Rock Candy grinned, leaping at the exhausted Koffing and slashing her across the face, sending her to the ground with a gasp of pain. The Poison-type belched a single puff of poison before passing out.

Billy Jo and Nicky came to a dead halt, the music suddenly stopping. "Uh…" Billy Jo muttered. "Koffing is… unable to battle, so… the challenger… wins…"

Roxie returned Koffing to her Pokeball with a trembling hand, shaking all over with rage. "L-lucky…" she muttered. That had to be it. He had gotten lucky again. She couldn't lose to him – she just couldn't!

"Uh… Roxie?" Tony asked.

"Shut up, you!" Roxie screamed, silencing him. "You haven't won yet!" She pulled out her final Pokeball. "Time to take out the trash! Go, Whirlipede!"

Roxie's final Pokemon was unveiled to her challenger. A tire-shaped, violet Bug-type, covered in long, poisonous spines.

Tony grinned at the sight of a Bug-type. He didn't even need to scan this Pokemon; he knew all about it! In fact, he had one of his own!

Speaking of which…

"Rock Candy, return!" Tony ordered, opening his Dwebble's Pokeball and returning her to the capture device. Pulling out another Pokeball, he opened it and shouted, "Go, Strike!"

Tony's own Whirlipede, Strike, landed on the ruined ring and faced down his foe. Male and female Whirlipede stared at one another as their trainers formulated strategies in their minds.

"Whirl," greeted Strike, switching to his flirtatious tone. "Whirl?"

Roxie's Whirlipede was hardly impressed. "Whirl!" she huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Roll-out!" Tony ordered Strike.

"You Roll-out, too!" Roxie countered.

Strike's lecherous intent vanished in an instant, replaced by fighting-instinct as he shot off at his foe. The two Bug/Poison-types clashed against one another, their spines catching together and forcing them to a halt. Hissing and growling, the two Pokemon pushed against one another, trying to pull themselves free from the clash without leaving an opening for the other.

It was a bizarre sight to be sure, almost like to donuts fighting one another. Roxie was the first to make a move, shouting "Use Protect!"

Whirlipede's eyes flashed as she summoned a shield around her body, pushing her opponent off of her and sending him rolling back towards his own trainer.

"Strike!" Tony shouted. "Hit the brakes!"

Roxie grinned, seeing the perfect chance to turn this match around in her favor. "Now, Roll-out again!" she ordered.

"Whirl!" Whirlipede chittered, spinning and charging Strike again.

"Strike, Protect!" Tony shouted.

Strike, who was still trying to catch his balance after that last attack, barely managed to put up his own barrier in time to defend against Whirlipede's attack. Roxie growled. "Dang it," she muttered, "why does everyone know protect nowadays?! Roll-out again!"

"Whirl!" Whirlipede shouted again, charging once more at Strike.

"Strike, use Roll-out, too!" Tony countered.

"Not this again!" Roxie exclaimed.

Yes, this again. Both Pokemon slammed into one another with a mighty crash, their spines halting them and locking them into mortal combat. Both Pokemon were panting heavily as they battled one another, neither willing to give up for anything.

Roxie was panting heavily, sweat dripping from her brow as if she herself were fighting Strike. _H-how?_ she thought. _If this was any other snot-nosed kid I'd have won by now! Why can't I beat him?! _

_She's a tough trainer, I'll give her that, _Tony thought. _She's putting up more of a fight than she did at the N1, so she's learned something since then. _

Billy Jo and Nicky watched quietly from the stage, their music long-forgotten. "What's going on…?" Billy Jo whispered to Nicky.

"I think… Roxie's gonna… do the L-word," Nicky replied quietly.

"You mean…" Billy Jo swallowed. "Lose?" she said as quietly as possible, leaning over to her bandmate.

Nicky nodded. "Yeah, the L-word. I mean… their Whirlipede are equally matched… and he still has that Dwebble, and she ain't been hurt at all…"

Strike narrowed his eyes as he forced his entire weight on Whirlipede. "W-whirl!" he growled. _Can't… lose! _he thought, pushing harder. _Can't…_

CRACK!

"W-whirl?!" Strike gasped. He hesitated for a second and Whirlipede managed to shove him back.

"Strike!" Tony cried. "Are you okay?"

"W-whirl…" Strike's voice suddenly paused and then deepened. "Scol…"

CRACK!

A long crack began to travel down the middle of Strike's body, slowly splitting the Bug/Poison-type in half. A mysterious glow burst from within the husk, power radiating from the core of the beast.

"SCOL!" a deep, raspy voice declared.

The Whirlipede exploded, dead, useless skin flying everywhere. There was a bright flash of light, blinding all in the gym.

The light faded and gave way to the beast.

A massive creature stood where Strike had, magenta and black in color. It was a huge centipede, big enough for an adult human to ride upon, bigger than a Zebstrika, with four legs suspending its massive body off of the ground and six tiny appendages hanging from its upraised torso. Its skin was a heavy exoskeleton, almost six inches thick. Its head was small, with two almond-shaped yellow eyes and a pair of massive, razor-sharp horns, dripping toxins.

Strike the Whirlipede was no more – he was now Strike the Scolipede.

Tony fell over as he stared at Strike. Scolipede, a legend among bug-catcher as a toxic force to be reckoned with. The final form of the Venipede line. A stage-two Pokemon. A creature of immense power. And _he_ had raised it.

It almost seemed too good to be true. Tony gently called, "Strike?" to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Strike slowly turned to face his trainer, giving him a grin, obviously pleased with his new, much stronger body. "Scol," he hissed with a nod.

Tony's face lit up. "Strike… you evolved! Yes!" he cried, jumping to his feet.

Roxie's mouth gaped. Her Whirlipede winced and rolled back a bit. This did not look good. "W-what…?" the Virbank Gym Leader stuttered.

"Ready for some more?" Tony asked Strike. "We can pull this off, I know we can!"

"Scol!" Strike agreed, turning to face the now much-smaller Whirlipede again, ready to fight some more.

Roxie sighed. "Wait," she said, in probably the smallest voice anyone had ever heard her produce. "I… I give up…" she said, feeling utterly defeated and humiliated. When her Whirlipede had faced Strike on equal forms, they had been about even. But now? Now he was a stage-two. What could they do against that?

Somehow that sad little voice kept Tony from jumping up in down with joy. "Eh?"

"You win…" Roxie muttered unhappily.

Tony didn't cheer, but he couldn't help but smile. The vicious battle was over at last. "Strike… Good job!" He gave his Scolipede a thumbs up.

"Scol!" Strike replied proudly.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Arbok (In Starbucks uniform): "Welcome to CHARBOKS! May I take your order?"**

**Koffing: "Coffee!"**

**Strike's finally evolved! Now that he's at his final form, Tony had a little more insectoid firepower on his team! But how has this battle affected Roxie? Will she be a better person after this or will she be worse than ever? Tune in next time to find out!**

**Reader Question Time! Which of Tony's Pokemon do you want to evolve next? Answer after you review! :D**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	19. Off to Poke-Star Studios!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony faced the new Virbank City Gym Leader Roxie in a fierce Gym Battle for the Toxic Badge! Surprisingly enough, it turned out to be one of Tony's better Gym Battles: not only did he not lose a single Pokemon but his Whirlipede Strike even evolved during the last match, turning into his final form, the Bug/Poison-type Scolipede! Seeing her own Whirlipede was now badly outmatched by sheer power, Roxie surprisingly forfeited the match, allowing Tony to claim his fourth Gym Badge at long last!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

The scoreboard above the stage made a clicking sound as it marked the Gym Battle's finally outcome: Roxie: 0 Challenger: 1

To say Roxie was in a bad mood would be an understatement. Nicky and Billy Jo could see that. She was so mad that she was actually trying to hold it in.

That was a bad sign. Normally when Roxie was angry she didn't have any problem venting it to anyone who'd listen. But this, this was a special case. Roxie was so angry that she actually seemed calm.

Billy Jo and Nicky swallowed in unison as their bandleader hopped down to the ring and approached Tony and the newly-evolved Strike. "Did you bring earplugs?" Billy Jo whispered to her bandmate.

"Even if I did, we'd here about this later anyways…" Nicky lamented.

Roxie hid her scowl as she approached the overjoyed Tony, who was beaming from ear to ear as he examined his newly evolved Scolipede. She cleared her throat, catching the bug-catchers attention. Digging into a pocket in her oversized striped shirt, she pulled out a metallic badge that looked like a long trail of poisonous blotches, colored purple with a golden trim.

"Here," she mumbled, tossing the Gym Badge to Tony. "The Toxic Badge. Use it in good health and blah, blah, blah." She turned and stomped off.

Billy Jo and Nicky breathed sighs of relief. She didn't explode!

"Hey, Roxie!" Tony called as he pocketed his brand new Toxic Badge.

"What?" Roxie asked, not even bothering to look at him.

Tony smiled in a friendly way. "You did really great," he said politely. "You've really improved since the N1. I thought you had me for a few minutes." He held out his hand. "Good game?"

Roxie scowled, clenching her fist. Billy Jo and Nicky's eyes bulged and they quickly hid behind the speakers. "G-good game…?" the rocker hissed.

Tony winced. _Oh great!_ he thought. _What did I say this time?!_

"How was it a good game?!" Roxie snapped, whirling around on Tony. Even Strike winced at the venom in her voice. "I lost my first Gym Battle ever!"

"W-well…" Tony stuttered, raising his hands defensively, "isn't it a Gym Leader's job to… lose?"

"He's, uh, got a good point there…" Nicky called from behind the speakers, hoping to calm Roxie down.

Roxie gritted her teeth, ignoring her bandmate. "Alright, fine! You beat me on national TV and now you beat me on my own turf. Congratulations! Now don't give me any of that 'good game' crud!"

"It's not crud, though…" Tony muttered.

"Shut up!" Roxie snapped, folding her arms.

Tony's temper flared. "No, you shut up!" he shot back. He winced a little as the words left his mouth; he couldn't remember ever saying that.

Yeah, it was a horrible comeback, but it was enough to keep Roxie going. "Who the heck do ya think you are?!"

"I could ask you the same," Tony said, forcing himself not to scream. "I've been nothing but civil to you since the day we've met and all you've done is scream and rant like… like a child!"

"I am not a child!" Roxie snapped.

"Then act your age!" Tony retorted. "Talk about your feelings intelligently instead of throwing tantrums like this! You're a Gym Leader now; an inspiration for Pokemon Trainers! You're also a bandleader! Is this really the image you want to have in front of the people who look up to you?" He put his hand on Roxie's shoulder. "You need to talk about what's wrong! If you don't you'll just keep exploding and doing harm to everyone around you!"

Now that shut Roxie up. Her face turned red and a bead of sweat dropped down to her brow as she looked away from Tony, growling quietly. She looked over to Nicky and Billy Jo, both of who were still hiding behind the speaker, only the tops of their heads visible. Two much older teens, terrified of her.

If they were scared of her, imagine what a new ten-year-old trainer fresh from home would think of her. If the Pokemon League caught wind of this they could kick her out and even confiscate her trainer's license. That much she knew; she had almost lost her license and her chance to become Unova's youngest Gym Leader when she blew up at the N1. If this got out…

Roxie sighed again, this time sounding much mellower. "Look… I'm... sorry…" she said.

"Eh?" Billy Jo and Nicky poked their heads up, confused. Roxie had apologized? When she was this angry with her life?

Roxie couldn't believe it either. "I'm a Gym Leader now," she said, "and I need to follow the rules and regulations, just like everyone else. I'm supposed to lose with dignity and all that. I tried to."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, I noticed."

Roxie looked away to hide her blush. _Freaking goody-goody_, she thought with a little bitterness. _Making me look like a softy. _"Look, life's a little crazy for me right now. I apologized and you have my badge. You can go now."

"You wanna talk about it?" Tony asked. "I, uh… My life's been a little crazy sometimes, too. Maybe I can help?"

Roxie rolled her eyes. _Is this guy for real?_

"Cut! That was perfect!"

The enthusiastic voice seemed to come from out of nowhere, surprising everyone. In a flash a dark-skinned man with a bright orange afro and wearing a green shirt and green shorts ran up onto the arena, rushing over to Tony with a wide, charismatic grin.

"That was absolutely amazing!" the man said with a chuckle. "The battle was excellent and varied, the surprise evolution is always a winner and the heartfelt speech at the end was the perfect heroic act! You sir," he said, jabbing the dumbfounded Tony in the chest, "are star material!"

Roxie was the first to recover her senses. "Oh, no, not you again!" she exclaimed.

The man ignored Roxie entirely. "You, sir, should come with me to Poke-Star Studios! We could use a fresh new talent like you!"

"W-what?" Tony stuttered.

"Hey!" Roxie said. "We ain't interested in your stupid movies, so beat it!"

"I wasn't asking you," the man said, his grin never faltering for an instant, "I was asking him."

"Ask him someplace else!" Roxie ordered. "My gym, my rules! Take a hike!"

Seeing as how he had already worn out his welcome, the man quickly placed a card into Tony's hand. "Please, take this," he said to the still frozen boy. "Come see me and the studio owner and we'll make you a star!" he called, quickly bolting from the gym to avoid Roxie's wrath.

Tony, still not quite sure of what had happened, looked at the card in his hand, which read: "Pass for one fresh movie star and his entourage. Poke-Star Studio – we'll make you and your Pokemon stars!" along with an address and a phone number. He turned to Roxie, regaining enough sense to speak. "Uh… Is this real?" he asked, holding the card up.

Roxie scowled. "Yeah, it's real alright. Lousy agents, always snooping around…"

"Agents… Wait a second! That guy was a talent agent?" Tony exclaimed, the card's text finally making sense. "For, like, actors and stuff?"

"Of course it is," Roxie said. "Poke-Star Studios, some hoity-toity big-shot move studios in the north side of town. They're always looking for fresh talent."

"We auditioned as a band once but they turned us down," Billy Jo added with a scowl. "Jerks."

"Oh." Tony looked at the card and shook his head. "T-they can't be serious. I can't be a movie star! I don't know the first thing about acting!"

"Neither did dad," Roxie snorted. "They took him in."

Tony stared at the card. Him, a movie star? Tony Miller/Maruko, on the silver screen? Well, that was a horrible idea. Not only could Tony not act (or so he assumed, having no previous experience) but he had only goal in mind right now: get to Nimbasa City and see Skyla. After that, he just wanted to compete in the Pokemon League and stay out of trouble. Movie stars were trouble; Tony was hard pressed to think of one who went his or her entire career without getting into anything illegal. He shook his head. "No way," he said. "I can't be a movie star. I'm trying to get to Nimbasa City! I've been here longer than I meant to already."

"Fastest way to Western Unova's the ferry," Roxie grunted.

Tony's eyes lit up. "A ferry? Really? That's great! Where is it?"

"It's by the pier," Roxie replied grouchily. "My dad was the captain."

Tony blinked. "I thought you said your dad was in Poke-Star Studios?" he asked.

Suddenly, Roxie gave a sardonic grin. "Now see, that's the problem."

* * *

By some bizarre twist of fate, Tony, Roxie, Billy Jo and Nicky all found themselves in front of the flashing, glorious gates of Poke-Star Studios, the biggest movie and television studio in the Unova Region.

Almost everyone in the Pokemon World knew of Poke-Star Studios, or at least had seen something that had come out of it. Popular soaps and dramas, action and adventure, romance and comedy, all of it came through Poke-Star Studios.

Tall brick walls surrounded Poke-Star, and a secure-looking front gate was its only entrance. Five tough-looking security guards stood by the gate, arms crossed as they saw Tony and co. approach. Evidently, whoever ran this place did not want anyone uninvited to come in.

That was fine by Tony; he didn't want to come in either. So, why was he here again?

"Want to tell me why we're here again?" Tony asked Roxie, who kept a firm grip on his arm to keep him from running.

"We're getting my dad back," Roxie grunted.

"Uh… Okay…" Tony winced as Roxie gripped his arm harder; he was starting to miss be screamed at. "Why?"

"Because the idiot's the only one who knows how to use the stupid boat!" Roxie snapped bitterly.

"I-idiot?" Tony winced at Roxie's disrespectful tone. He knew all about parental troubles, but he had never actually called his mother an idiot of all things.

"Yeah, an idiot!" Roxie repeated. "Biggest flake you'll ever meet! One moment he wants to be a ferry captain and the next he's willing to give it all away for a chance of being a movie star!"

"Oh, I'm, uh… sorry to hear that," Tony said.

"She's been going on about it for over a month…" Nicky lamented.

"Pop Roxie started taking acting lessons at the studio," Billy Jo agreed. "He never operates the ferry anymore."

"That's, uh, too bad," Tony said, digging his heels to the ground and bringing himself and Roxie to a halt. "So, you want your dad to quit acting?" he asked the rocker.

Roxie nodded. "Yeah, I do. And you do, too!"

"Why's that?" Tony asked.

"Because he's the only guy in town who can drive the ferry," Roxie replied. "If you want to get to Western Unova, you need him to take you there."

"Oh…" Tony nodded, finally understanding. Well, this was just fantastic. To get to Nimbasa City he'd have to drag some guy away from his acting lessons. Peachy. "So, no one else can drive the boat?"

Roxie quickly cast a silencing glare at Billy Jo and Nicky, who clamped their mouths shut. "Nope," she said, hoping Tony didn't notice it. "Pop's the only one who can do it. And that's where you come in."

"How?" Tony asked.

"You got the pass inside, didn't ya?" Roxie asked. "It's for you and your entourage. We just have to hang around you go get in!"

"Oh, that makes sense…" Tony muttered with a nod, digging his pass out of his pocket. "In that case, you take it," he said, offering the pass to Roxie.

"No can do," Roxie replied.

"We're, uh…" Nicky blushed. "Due to circumstance beyond our control we're no longer allowed in Poke-Star Studio without supervision of some sort."

"Totally not our fault, by the way," Billy Jo droned with a nod, her piercings and jewelry clinking sinisterly.

Tony winced. _Auntie warned me about people like this, didn't she?_ he thought miserably.

"Don't look like such a sob!" Roxie ordered, punching him in the arm. "You said you wanted to help me with that emotional crud, right? Well, here's your chance! All we gotta do is go inside and drag my dad out dead or alive. Simple, right?"

"Yeah, but…" Tony blushed. "What if they actually expect me to… act?"

Roxie grabbed his arm again, her grip tighter than ever. "You can jump off that bridge when you get to it. Now let's go!"

Tony groaned, but did as he was told. Another day another detour. At least this one wasn't life-threatening.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**The moment Tony stepped inside the studio he, Roxie and Lucky were shot into space. They are now prisoners on a satellite where they are forced by N to watch horrible movies, which the Plasma King plans to use to conquer the world. **

**How's that for a spin-off?**

**Shout Out Time! Happy Birthday to my long-time reviewer austinf12! **

**Reader Question Time! If I was to do another Tony's Journey story, which region would you want it to be in, besides Kanto and Unova? Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	20. Target: Poke-Star Studios!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony managed to beat Roxie, the Gym Leader of Virbank City, in a fierce battle, and his former Whirlipede Strike evolved into his final form Scolipede to boot! After trying to be his usual goody-goody self and offering Roxie a good game, Roxie snapped at Tony, causing Tony to snap right back, reminding her that she was a Gym Leader and an inspiration for younger trainers. Knowing that she could scare/traumatize trainers with her horrible temper (as well as knowing that incidents like this could result in her being unemployed as a Gym Leader) Roxie begrudgingly apologized. Shortly afterwards, a talent scout from Poke-Star Studios – a movie studio that produces the majority of movies and TV in the Unova Region – approached Tony, giving him a pass to the studios and telling him that his Gym Battle showed much potential for a future in show business! While Tony was not enthusiastic about being an actor (having never taken any lessons and not wanting to get distracted from his goal of Nimbasa City) Roxie quickly dragged him and her cohorts off to Poke-Star Studio, where her father, Pop Roxie, was currently taking acting lessons. Though Tony was reluctant, Roxie revealed that her father is the ferry driver, and the only way to get to Nimbasa City is with him driving the boat! With that knowledge, Tony followed the Virbank Gym Leader to Poke-Star Studios!**

**Holy cow, that's a long previously section…**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Poke-Star Studios – a blight upon Unova and the rest of the Pokemon World as well. A wretched hide of scum and villainy. A horrible land of cruelty and slavers, hidden behind the golden glow of fame and fortune.

Fame and fortune for the slavers, that is.

Pokemon born and bred for the stage, fed only to keep them alive long enough to dance for the masses inside their little cages, and all for the benefit of their human "owners." Disgusting!

How such a place could exist was absolutely baffling to Aldith. She knew that the mainstream, run-of-the-mill citizens were stupid and selfish, but she never imagined that they could be this horrible to innocent Pokemon, creatures kept from reaching perfection by their human slavers.

Horrible. Simply horrible.

Sadly, most didn't see things her way. Her own parents even watched the drivel that the horrible studios produced. They always told her that she was thinking too hard, that things weren't nearly as bad she thought they were.

But they were, and she knew it. That's why she had joined up with a little group called Team Plasma. Special emphasis on the little group part.

Team Plasma wasn't what it used to be. Hundreds of their members had been caught during the "protest" of Nimbasa City. The ranks of the glorious crusaders had diminished greatly since that day, and what members were left were either huddled in their secret base or constantly on the run from the police.

It was a hard life. Had Aldith not been personally recruited by her great King for this rescue mission, she might have considered leaving the team while she still had the chance.

"You ready?" her partner, a young man named Barret, asked.

Aldith shouldered her backpack of explosives. "Ready," she said, her voice muffled by the black bandanna she wore around her mouth. It was part of the new Team Plasma uniform: a grey jumpsuit with a black mask, vest and a cap. Simple and stealthy, as well as comfortable when compared to the wool tunic they had been forced to wear a month ago.

Barret nodded, wearing the same uniform. He was a few inches taller than Aldith, with equally orange hair. The two could pass as siblings if need-be, a trick that had saved them from a few police patrols before. The two had been partnered up constantly, namely due to the lack of Plasma recruits nowadays. The poor, misguided public thought they were terrorists or something.

Poor fools…

"You know the orders, right?" Barret asked.

Aldith nodded. "Yes."

"Good." Her male partner nodded. "Now all we have to do is wait for what's her face…"

Aldith leaned against the graffiti-stained wall of the alley, folding her arms and sighing unhappily.

"What is it?" Barret asked his partner.

"Does our King have so little faith in us," Aldith asked after a moment of hesitation, "that he would hire a common criminal to oversee our operation?" She snorted angrily. "She's done more wrong to Pokemon than those studios have."

Barret shook his head. "It's not our place to question the orders of the chosen one," he said. "I don't like this anymore than you do but it's best to grin and bear it. Besides, think about it: if we succeed with this mission, our King may see us fit to attack the new gym in this city."

That cheered Aldith up a bit; the thought of destroying one of those horrible Gym Leaders was a thought that gave her goose-bumps.

Barret checked his watch. "Thirteen hundred," he said. "She's late."

Aldith's frown returned. "Wonderful," she snapped. "Do we go ahead with it?"

"Our King ordered us to await her arrival," Barret replied. "We can't run in against his orders. That would be crazy."

"Crazy?"

Aldith and Barret froze as the cold voice echoed throughout the alley. They slowly turned, eyes wide, to see a dark figure standing by the entrance, a malicious smirk written on her lips.

"Crazy?" she asked again, stepping towards them. "Now what's wrong with that? Evidently it's done wonders for _me_…"

"You made it!"

The overly-enthusiastic talent scout eagerly shook the dumbfounded Tony's hand. "Oh, boy, this sure is an honor, a great honor, Mr. Tony, sir. It's wonderful to see you that you took up my offer!"

"P-please," Tony said, wishing the scout would stop shaking his arm, "the honor's all mine."

Poke-Star Studios was bustling with activity, almost like a city. Tiny golf-karts were driven back and forth, carrying actors, directors, producers and the like across the grounds. Props and costumes were carted from studio to studio by an army of assistants.

Tony hated crowds; he always felt extremely claustrophobic in cities or even bustling towns. This wasn't quite as bad as Castelia City had been, but it still made him feel a bit cramped, reminding him that he did not want to be here.

"Please, let me introduce you to Mr. Deoh!" the scout said, gesturing to a short, balding man in a dark purple suit, with a friendly smile and an exotic feel to him. "He's the studio's owner! Mr. Deoh, this is the remarkable fresh talent I was telling you about!"

"Very pleased to meet you, darling!" Mr. Deoh said, his voice dripping with an accent Tony had never heard before. "I've heard great things about you!"

"T-thank you," Tony said uncomfortably.

Roxie spoke up. "Yo, Mr. Deoh!"

Mr. Deoh's brow furrowed. "Oh, it's you," he muttered. "You're with them?" he asked Tony, casting a suspicious eye upon Roxie's crew.

Roxie cut in before Tony could say a word. "Well, I heard that Tony here…" she wrapped her arms around Tony's shoulder in a pseudo gesture of friendship "…was going to the studios and I wanted to visit my dad. So, I asked him to chaperone us. Is that so wrong?" she asked innocently.

Mr. Deoh cast a suspicious look at Billy Jo and Nicky. "We'll, uh, be on our best behavior," Nicky promised.

"No incidents this time," Billy Jo droned. "No injuries this time. Promise."

Tony didn't even want to know. It was better not to ask.

Mr. Deoh finally relented. "Very well," he said. "You can see your father in a few moments. He's currently in the middle of a very, very important acting lesson."

"I'm sure he is," Roxie grumbled sarcastically.

"And as for you, welcome to the world of acting!" Deoh told Tony, grabbing his hand in a firm handshake.

"T-thanks, but…" Tony stuttered. "I'm, uh, I'm not sure if I'm acting material. I've never even had lessons."

"Nonsense!" Deoh chortled. "My talent scouts are never wrong! Why, this scout brought my father the actress who portrayed Sailor Lunatone ten years ago!" He gestured to the proud-looking scout.

"…Have you ever seen that show…?" Billy Jo whispered, just out of Deoh's earshot.

"Calling her an actress is a bit of an overstatement," Roxie agreed.

"Besides, you haven't signed any contracts yet," Mr. Deoh went on. "I just want to see what you can do. A test of some sorts. You might enjoy it, and if you're not ready you can always come back someday."

"That's good to know…" Tony said, feeling relieved that he wouldn't have to sell his soul quite yet. "Uh, so, what kind of test do you want me to do?"

"Well," Mr. Deoh said, "we have an excellent teacher here in Poke-Star Studio. He's a skilled actor and a trainer."

"Sounds neat," Tony lied.

"Yes, you've probably heard of him," Mr. Deon went on. "His name is Brycen Hachiku."

Tony's eyes lit up. "B-Brycen? The Brycen?"

"Yes, the Brycen!" Mr. Deoh said.

Tony grinned. "T-the Blue Beedrill! Where is he?!"

"Studio Number 21," Mr. Deoh replied.

Tony took off so fast that there was practically a sonic boom.

"The heck?" Roxie exclaimed.

"See?" the scout asked Mr. Deoh. "Look how eager he is to act!"

Mr. Deoh nodded with a grin. "Indeed!" He turned to Roxie and her crew. "Well, come along. Let's go and see your father."

Roxie nodded. "'Bout dang time," she snorted. "Where is the old man."

"He's with Brycen. Studio 21," replied Mr. Deoh. "Come along now - and remember: I'll be keeping an eye on all of you." He furrowed his bushy eyebrows. "Is that clear?"

Roxie nodded. "Crystal. Now let's go!" she said impatiently.

So, off they all went to Studio 21 - unaware that a trio of malicious intent had set their eyes upon their humble little studio.

* * *

**The Author's Note:**

**No, I will not call the studio owner Stu Deoh. That name is just stupid. **

**Also, apparently Aldith and Barret are the names of the female and male Plasma Grunts/Commanders in the Pokemon anime. Just thought I'd include them, with their new stealth uniforms that don't camouflage them at all in the dark.**

**Reader Question Time! Since we've got the movie theme going on, the question is: what is your favorite movie? Mine is probably one of the Lord of the Rings movies, but I also like Jurassic Park, the Star Wars movies, the Dark Knight and Monsters. Inc. How about you? Answer after you review! **

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	21. The Bet

**Last time on Unova Grand Tour...**

**Tony arrived at Poke-Star Studios with Roxie and her crew. Their mission: Drag Pop Roxie, Roxie's father and ferry captain, away from his acting lessons and get him back on his boat so he can take Tony to Nimbasa City and Skyla! However, Tony's run into a little detour: Mr. Deoh, the studio's owner, expects Tony to actually act a little, something Tony wasn't looking forward to at all! Until, that is, he heard that veteran actor and Pokemon Trainer Brycen was in the studios with Roxie's father. Tony enthusiastically ran into the studio, quickly followed by Mr. Deoh and Roxie and co.!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

"You don't really think a pathetic excuse for a hero like you could defeat me, did you? What a joke!"

A ragged-looking, dark-haired man, dressed in a ridiculously loud yellow, blue and red superhero costume (complete with goofy mask), collapsed miserably to the floor with almost perfect unison with his blue and black canine Pokemon, panting for breath, beaten thoroughly by his opponent, pitifully put down on his knees. "I-I guess I wasn't hero material after all..." he said pathetically.

His rival, a tall, dark-looking man wearing a purple jump-suit (complete with embarrassing v-line) and a dark green cape, grinned evilly, his green lips gleaming in the light. Someone switched on a fan, creating a dramatic breeze to blow his cape to the side. "But of course!" he sneered at his fallen foe. "Did you really think you could defeat me?"

"Kinda, yeah..."

"Hah! Adorable!" the masked villain cackled.

"And... Cut!" The blonde woman behind the camera clapped her hands. "Take five, everybody!"

The meager crew of the green-screen set quickly folded their equipment up and made their way to their coffee breaks, leaving the two actors and their Pokemon alone on the set.

"Aww, man..." the beaten "hero" moaned, pushing himself off of the ground. "I lost again..."

"Yes," the villain replied, his once arrogant, villainous voice replaced with an icy monotone. "But your acting has improved immensely."

"Eh..." the hero muttered with a shrug. "Well, that's fine and all but..."

The door to Studio 21 shot open. "There you are!" two voice announced in unison, one of them filled with nostalgic delight and the other filled with anger.

Tony and Roxie shot into the room, a duo of blue, purple and yellow bullets. They quickly reached the green-screen and their targets.

"Oh, hey, honey-bunny," Pop Roxie greeted with a smile. "Come to visit your old dad?"

"Don't give me that 'honey-bunny' crud," Roxie grunted. "What the heck are you wearing?! You're coming home with me!"

"But I'm not done my lessons yet," Pop Roxie replied innocently.

"Who said you get a choice?!" Roxie snapped.

Most people would respond to such hostility with either anger or fear; Pop Roxie just grinned. "You're so cute when you're all angry," he gushed, wrapping his enraged daughter into a hug.

"D-dad! Let me go! Not in front of the kid!" Roxie screamed.

Tony wasn't paying attention to Roxie, however; his and Lucky's sparkling eyes were locked onto the villain of the piece, the world-famous actor of stage and screen, the legendary Brycen himself! "Y-you're..." Tony stuttered.

Brycen sighed, feeling an autograph session coming along. "Yes," the willowy but well-built man said. "I am."

"Y-you played..." Tony stuttered.

"Yes, I played the Yamask of the Opera," Brycen droned.

"Uh... I didn't know you were in that," Tony said.

"Mecha-Cop?" Brycen asked, genuinely surprised. "I played Mecha-Cop, yes."

"You did? Huh. Never knew that," Tony said, rubbing his chin.

Brycen raised an eyebrow. "Jack from the _S.S. Cactus_, the highest-grossing film of all time?" he asked.

"Aunt Sally never let me watch that one..." Tony muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh, something about girls from Kalos." He shrugged. "But forget about those movies! You were the Blue Beedrill!"

"The Blue whatnow?!" Roxie asked.

Brycen stiffened. "T-the Blue Beedrill?" he said, turning a little red.

"Yeah!" Tony exclaimed. "That was my favorite show as a kid! Lucky and I used to watch it all the time!"

"Freeh!" Lucky agreed.

Brycen almost smiled sheepishly. Almost. "That was... thirty years ago," he said, "back when I was a young man. How did you...?"

"My Uncle Brad used to watch it," Tony replied. "He taped every episode on VHS! Actually, he accidentally taped an episode over my Aunt Sally's workout tapes and she got all mad at him." He grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "You were awesome!" he exclaimed.

"...T-thank you..." Brycen muttered. He was used to being praised, but being praised for something so old and, to be honest, so cheesy wasn't something he was particularly familiar with. The Blue Beedrill has just been him dressed in a blue suit and mask, running around with a Beedrill and fighting mobsters and mad scientists. It had been campy as all heck, especially in comparison to his more serious roles in recent years.

Tony grabbed Lucky and held her up to Brycen. "Could you sign my Butterfree?" he asked.

"Freeh!" Lucky agreed.

"A Butterfree..." Brycen muttered. "Are you Tony?"

Tony blinked. "Y-you know me?"

Brycen nodded. "Professor Juniper told me about you," he said simply. "You see, I am not only an actor; I have recently become Gym Leader of Icirrus City."

Tony nodded; that made sense. "Oh," he said. "Uh, congratulations."

"Ah, good, you've all met!" Mr. Deoh had chosen this moment to enter the studio, followed by Nicky and Billy Jo. "Mr. Brycen, please allow me to introduce Tony! He's a new talent we've found. I was hoping, if you aren't too busy that is..."

Brycen nodded. "Yes, I'll give him a lesson," he said, knowing exactly what Deoh wanted.

"N-no, really, that's not necessary..." Tony began. "Really."

"Oh, no, you should do it!" Pop Roxie interrupted. "Mr. Brycen is an amazing teacher!"

"Eh... Thank you..." Brycen muttered.

Roxie promptly exploded again. "Dad!" she snapped. "You're coming home!"

"Yes, sweetie-pie, as soon as I'm done my lessons," Pop Roxie replied.

"You know what I mean!" Roxie snapped. "No more of this acting crud! You already got a job and it ain't here!"

"But honey..." Pop Roxie pouted. "I can't leave yet! I haven't made my debut!"

"I don't care!" Roxie retorted. "You're keeping people from getting to Castelia City!"

"There are other ferry captains..." Pop Roxie said meekly.

Tony turned to Roxie. "There are?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You said he was the only one!"

Roxie ignored Tony. "You're the best one, though!" she snapped at her father. "You're keeping people from getting where they need to go just because you're in the middle of your stupid midlife crisis!"

"Yeah, but you said..."

"Shut up and talk to the Blue whatever the heck he is, Tony!"

Pop Roxie chuckled. "Oh, pudding-pop," he said, wrapping his tiny daughter into a hug again. "You can run a rock band and be a Gym Leader at the same time, can't you?"

"L-lemme go!" Roxie shouted; she hated it when her father treated her like, well, his daughter in front of people.

"I can act and run the ferry easily!" Pop Roxie said, patting his bright red daughter on the head. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it."

Roxie's growl was just enough to keep Tony, Billy Jo and Nicky from snickering.

"They don't pay me enough for this..." Brycen muttered to himself.

"Well," Mr. Deoh said, putting his hand on Tony's shoulder. "Ready for your free lesson with the master himself?"

Tony swallowed. "L-like I was trying to say, I..."

"Oh, you're an actor, too?" Pop Roxie asked.

"N-not really..."

"Yeah, he's an actor!" Roxie snapped. "And he's ten times the actor you'll ever be!"

"W-what?!" Tony exclaimed. "I'm not-!"

"Oh, is he?" Pop Roxie cast a skeptical, though not unkind, look at Tony. "Well, I look forward to seeing you audition tapes then! Maybe I can give you a few pointers!"

"If anything, hell be giving you the pointers, dad," Roxie said deviously, a scheme forming in her brain.

"W-what?" Pop Roxie asked.

"He's not only a great actor, but also a great Pokemon Trainer!" Roxie boasted for the dumbfounded Tony. "Something you've always been lousy at."

Pop Roxie sniffled pathetically. "Y-you're merciless..."

_She's that bratty even to her own father?!_ Tony thought in surprise.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Roxie said suddenly. "Let's have a contest!" She grabbed Tony's arm and dragged him over to her father. "Tony's audition tapes versus yours! If your tape is better than his, you can stay and do that acting crud. If his is better, you have to come home and open the ferry service full-time again!"

Pop Roxie stared. "W-what...?"

"Hey!" Tony finally shouted. "I didn't agree to any of this!"

"Oh, a contest!" Mr. Deoh said, oblivious to the sensitive situation as usual. "That sounds like an interesting idea!"

"It does? Oh, of course it does, sir," Pop Roxie said. "If that's what you want, we'll do it!" he told Tony."I'm confident in my acting skills!" He struck a truly groan-worthy superhero pose.

"B-but that's not..." Tony stuttered.

"Perfect!" Roxie said with a grin. She cast a quick glare at Tony. "Thanks for the help," she said. "Don't screw this up!"

"I..."

"Well, don't let us intrude on you!" Mr. Deoh said, leading Roxie, her crew and her father out of the room. "Enjoy the lesson! I can't wait to see what you can do!"

The doors slammed shut just as Tony shouted, "But I don't want to act!"

His cries fell on deaf ears. Tony sighed unhappily and rubbed his brow. "Darn it all..."

Brycen raised an eyebrow. "The costumes are over there..." he whispered just loud enough for Tony to hear. "Please get dressed."

Tony slowly nodded. "Yeah, yeah..." he moaned.

"Try to make the best of it," Brycen advised. "If it's not your thing, you don't have to do it again... I'll sign your Butterfree if it makes you feel any better."

That didn't brighten Tony's mood completely, but it did improve it. Once Lucky had Brycen's signature sighed on her right wing, he made his way to grab a costume.

And so began... the Legend of Riolu Kid!

No, seriously, that's what it was called.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Jeez, Tony, speak the heck up! **

**Also, the _S.S. Cactus_ is the Japanese name of Abandoned Ship in Pokemon's Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. I like to think that it would be the backdrop for the Pokemon equivalent of the _Titanic_. **

**Elesa: "Draw me like one of your Kalos girls, Jack!"**

**Burgh (kicks Brycen away): "Drawing?! That's my job! ...Elesa, where are your clothes?"**

**You know, for kids! XD**

**I apologize for that last joke, it wasn't funny at all...**

**Reader Question Time! Whether you like or dislike Poke-Star Studios, which of the movies is your favorite? Answer after you review! **

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	22. Acting 101

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony met veteran actor Brycen, who portrayed his favorite childhood superhero the Blue Beedrill! Though overjoyed to meet his childhood icon (and also to discover that Brycen was not only an actor but also a Gym Leader) Tony's mood was quickly dampened when Roxie proposed a deal with her wayward father: if Tony made an audition tape better than his, he would leave Poke-Star Studio and return to work at the ferry. Pop Roxie agreed and Tony found himself in show-business – against his will, of course.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

"Do I really have to wear _this_?"

Tony unhappily gazed down at the ridiculous costume in his hands. It was a simple wool costume with a haphazard color-scheme of reds, blues and yellows. A simple t-shirt and short, complete with a cape and a spiky-looking red mask. It looked pretty darn shabby for a prop that was owned by the world's biggest movie studio. Heck, it looked like a six year-old had made it for Halloween!

Brycen nodded once. "Yes."

Tony groaned again. "Can't I wear a different superhero costume?" he asked. "Maybe you have a Blue Beedrill costume lying around somewhere…?"

"Sorry," Brycen said. "Newcomers can only wear that costume."

Tony pouted. "Nuts." With a morose expression he got behind the dressing-curtain and quickly changed into the costume, Lucky and Brycen waiting patiently outside.

"All newcomers are given the same props for their audition tapes," Brycen said, breaking the silence. "There's no script; you get to say whatever it is you want. A good actor must make the very best out of any role."

"Huh…" Tony said from behind the curtain, trying hard to take Brycen's words to heart.

"If you don't want to act, I won't stop you," Brycen droned. "It's your choice."

Tony pushed the curtain aside, blushing as Lucky struggled not to laugh at how ridiculous he looked. "Yeah, well…" he muttered, "it's not really my choice. Roxie will throw a fit if I don't at least try."

"She'll probably throw a fit regardless." Brycen didn't alter his monotone, but it was a joke nonetheless.

Tony nodded. "Alright, let's just get this over with… What do I do?" he asked his new acting-coach.

"Simple." Brycen gestured to the green-screen. "You will be the hero and I will be the villain. I will attack an amusement park and you will try to stop me. Other than the set-up, there is no script. Acting is reacting."

"No script?" Tony swallowed. Not only had he never had an acting lesson a day in his life, but now they expected him to act without a script!

"We'll battle with Pokemon, of course," Brycen droned on. "I severely doubt you've the martial arts experience that I have."

"Okay, then." Tony brightened a little bit. Maybe a Pokemon battle would help cheer him up. It worked at Roxie's Gym, after all…

Brycen pulled out a Pokeball and opened it. "Here's your partner," he said, surprising Tony and Lucky.

In a scarlet flash, a small anthropoid canine Pokemon was released onto the green-screened floor, covered in blue and black fur and with big scarlet eyes. "Rio!" the Pokemon cried, punching at the air. Well, at least one of them was looking forward to this.

Tony pulled out his Pokedex, which said:

**"Riolu, the Emanation **

**Type: Fighting**

**Ability: Inner Focus**

**This specimen's gender: Male**

**Description: This extremely rare Fighting-type Pokemon evolves into the ever-popular Lucario via a powerful friendship with another. They can sense the aura of other beings. Though small in size, they can pack a powerful punch. Though once thought to be foreign to Unova, many Riolu have been discovered in the western portions of the region.**

**Threat level: Low. It's a Baby Pokemon and not fully mature yet.**

That was the straw that broke the Camrupt's back. "A… A Riolu?" Tony looked to Brycen. "Uh, sir… I only use, uh… Bug-types."

"Rio!" Riolu huffed, folding his arms.

"N-no offense," Tony added.

"Riolu Kid uses Riolu as his partner," Brycen said simply.

"Oh…" Tony looked apologetically at Lucky. "Sorry, girl, looks like I'll have to use Riolu."

Lucky sighed and floated off. "Freeh…"

The coffee break ended, and the camera crew quickly rushed back into the room. Lights were switched on, film was loaded into cameras and a stagehand quickly moved the fan back into position. "Alright!" the camerawoman/director called as she got behind the camera once more. "It's time to make some magic! Places!"

Tony swallowed. "W-what should I do?" he asked Brycen.

"Acting is reacting," Brycen replied.

"You already said that!" Tony exclaimed.

"We're on in five…" the director began.

"I said it because it's true," Brycen replied. "Pretend as if I were a real villain and you were a real hero. Pretend as if you were really in danger."

"Four…"

"Your acting is as powerful as your imagination is," Brycen went on. "Focus on me and you. Ignore the camera crew. They are not real. This movie is reality."

"Three…"

"T-this is reality, this is reality…" Tony whispered to himself as he and Brycen took their places. "Acting is reacting… Just pretend he's…"

He paused and stared at Brycen, forcing his imagination to get it in gear. As the director's words slowed and faded into nothingness, Brycen's face warped, changing from his usual handsome self to…

Mystico…?

The clown's face appeared in Tony's mind, his taunting smile mocking him. Then Numera, her narcissistic sense of superiority sending a shiver down his spine. Then, N – the Plasma King – his former friend who had lied to him and tormented his mother so. The brat who was behind all of this.

The director finished the countdown, but Tony never noticed it. Brycen's face went from a blank stare to a malicious grin. He began to laugh evilly, pulling out a Pokeball of his own.

Tony stepped forward and began to act.

* * *

It didn't take too long for the tape to be finished. The film was carried off for some quick editing and then was taken to the theater. A small crowd quickly filed into the dark movie theater, eerily illuminated by the glow of the massive screen.

Tony never liked movie theaters. They were either too dark and lonely or too dark and crowded. The fact that he wasn't too tall and that he repeatedly had ended up behind a much taller spectator didn't help either. But today, something else fueled his nervousness: he was on the big silver chopping block.

Roxie, Billy Jo and Nicky were all sitting in a row, their eyes glued onto the screen with bored expressions, noisily sipping sodas and munching popcorn. They looked like they were in the mood to do some riffing.

Pop Roxie was there too, as well as Mr. Deoh, Brycen, and a few other people who Tony assumed must have been studio executives or something. They were sitting a little farther in the back so Tony couldn't see their expressions. Were they happy to be here or angry? Was this all just a colossal waste of time?

Then there was the icing on the cake. Apparently, Poke-Star Studios regularly invited random people to view the audition tapes for free. A small crowd of people were all eagerly awaiting the film to start. If Tony screwed up on that tape, he wouldn't hear the end of it until he finally left Virbank. He wasn't really afraid of the humiliation, but he certainly did not like to be laughed at.

Tony felt someone nudge his arm. He had the misfortune of sitting next to Roxie. "How'd you do?" she asked in-between mouthfuls of popcorn.

Tony shrugged. "I don't know…" he admitted. "I did the best that I could…"

Roxie's brow furrowed. "You better have…" she grumbled. "If my dad wins, you'd better start running."

Tony rolled his eyes. Somehow, Roxie's threats had lost their weight. "Yeah, yeah, sure," he said quietly, returning his focus to the blank screen and praying that his movie wasn't the worst thing in the world. He crossed his fingers nervously, Lucky patting him on the head to make him feel better.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming!" a voice said over a microphone. "Today, for your viewing pleasure, we will be showing two audition tapes from two rising stars, Pop Roxie and Tony Miller!"

Tony swallowed. Why had he given them his actual name?!

"Both of them will be shown in the Riolu Hero series. As a special treat for you all, the evil Masked Man will be portrayed by movie star Brycen, famed for his portrayal of Jack in the award-winning _the Cactus_!"

_And the Blue Beedrill…_ Tony thought.

"Both actors tried their hardest to entertain you, so please, don't throw popcorn at them this time. That goes double for you, Ms. Homika!"

Roxie feigned an innocent face as Tony swallowed again, quickly scooting down a seat.

"So, without further ado…" the announcer said. "Pop Roxie in… Riolu Man!"

The screen flickered twice as a large gleaming logo reading Poke-Star Studios appeared on the screen, a golden ring with a barking, foxlike Pokemon called Zorua over the golden letters. "Mmmrawf! Mraawf!" the Dark-type barked as the logo faded away to reveal the title of the film. "Pop Roxie in… Riolu Man!"

Tony took a deep breath and shrunk back into his seat. Well, at least Pop Roxie was first on the chopping block.

Roxie gave a wide smirk. "Let the train-wreck begin."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**The Zorua MGM logo was actually in an episode of the Pokemon anime. I laughed my butt off when I saw that! :D**

**Not gonna lie, Tony's reaction to the movie theater is pretty similar to mine. I hate movie theaters. **

**Well, here goes nothing, Tony. Time for your debut on the silver screen! Will he crash in burn or shine like a star? Tune in next time to find out!**

**Reader Question Time! I asked about your favorite movies, so now it's time to torment you with your least favorite! XD Which movie makes your skin crawl with hatred? I'd name one of mine, but… to be honest, bad movies are perfect riffing material for me, so I don't mind them as much. XD**

**That's all for today! Read and review, please!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	23. Tony Miller in The Amazing Riolu Kid!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony was forced into filming an audition tape with veteran actor and Gym Leader Brycen! Naturally, our hero was extremely nervous, but Brycen was kind enough to give him some pointers, such as the ever-useful "acting is reacting" and tell him that he could simply pretend he was in a real life/death situation. This inspired Tony, who pretended that foes from his past, such as Mystico and Numera, were there in place of Brycen. With that done, the audition tapes began! Later, the tapes were finished and edited. Tony found himself sitting nervously in a theater full of people, all of whom seemed ready to tear his acting skills to shreds! Pop Roxie's tape started first, and all Tony could do was watch and pray that his film wasn't so bad.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

To be fair, Pop Roxie wasn't that bad of an actor.

His tape wasn't bad because of his inability to emote in front of the camera; his tape was bad because, well, he was really sort of an awful Pokemon Trainer. Well, that and the poses; the ridiculous, Poke-Ranger-esque poses that left everyone in the audience sniggering. He tried just a little too hard to seem heroic on the film, which made his defeat all the more embarrassing.

Amazingly enough, Pop Roxie took the taunting chuckles like a pro. When the movie ended and the announcer called him up for a bow, he did so gracefully and politely, making everyone feel a little bad about mocking him, even Roxie.

Tony hardly paid any mind to the others in the audience. Now he was more horrified than ever. Pop Roxie had been taking acting lessons for weeks now and his tape was still mirth-inducing. Tony, on the other hand, had taken one acting lesson only an hour ago. If Pop's movie earned snickers, the bug-catcher's movie was sure to bring about a storm of laughter.

Every fiber of his being screamed at him to make a hasty retreat from the theater, but the firm grip Roxie kept of his arm prevented him from going anywhere fast. All he could do was tremble as the next movie began, and his unwanted career in show-business was put to the test…

* * *

_An amusement park: the perfect place for families and friends to spend their vacations together. Clean air, fun rides, good (if not ridiculously overpriced) food and plenty of prizes for all. It seems impossible for anyone to ever target such a pleasant place, filled with so many innocent and happy people._

_And yet…_

_"Use Slash!"_

_Terrified screams rang throughout the air as a razor-sharp blade tore through a cotton candy cart, a panicking father dragging his small daughter out of the way just in time before the little girl could be sliced in half._

_A small humanoid Pokemon with bladed arms, covered in red and silver steely skin, malicious clanked his razor-sharp arms together as he moved onto his next target. With a predatory cry, he leaped onto a nearby merry-go-round, cackling as he sliced through the fake Blitzle and Ponyta, mortified parents pulling their children down as the monster reduced the merry-go-round to a pile of shredded plastic and metal._

_The Pokemon's trainer, a man in a dark purple jump-suit with a green cape, grinned evilly as his Pokemon destroyed the amusement park, piece-by-piece. "Yes!" he cackled, raising his fist into the air. "Destroy it all, Pawniard! Build a monument to non-existence!"_

_"Pawn!" Pawniard cackled, leaping down from the merry-go-round and turning his attention to a nearby cowering group of onlookers, shivering as they caught the Dark/Steel-type's evil gaze._

_"Get them!" the Masked Man ordered._

_"Pawn!" Pawniard roared as he crossed his blades together, leaping at the unfortunate tourists. The humans screamed in horror as the evil Pokemon shot into the air and descended upon them like some horrible bird of prey._

_"Riolu, Quick Attack to Force Palm!"_

_Suddenly, there was a flash of movement, a black and blue blur shooting through the air, leaping over the innocent civilians and smashing a paw, laced with powerful aura energy, right into the face of the Pawniard. The Dark/Steel-type was sent flying back to his trainer, unconscious, as the Riolu landed on the ground in front of the surprised tourists._

_In a flash, the hero of the hour arrived. A blonde young man, dressed in red, blue and yellow, arms crossed and a stony, unimpressed expression behind his scarlet mask. The crowd cheered, tears of joy spouting from their eyes as Riolu Kid and his trusted Riolu partner arrived to save their lives._

_Riolu Kid turned to the tourists. "Leave the Masked Man to me," he said calmly. "Get out of here while you can."_

_The grateful civilians muttered out a few words of praise and thanks before beating a hasty retreat, leaving Riolu Kid and the Masked Man to duke it out._

_The Masked Man scowled. "And who are you supposed to be?" he asked, looking down from his beaten Pawniard to his foe._

_The young man folded his arms. "I'm Riolu Kid," he declared coldly. "What on earth do you think you're doing here? This amusement park doesn't belong to you!"_

_The Masked Man cackled haughtily at the boy's observation. "So, yet another heroic type, I see!" he chortled. "A fool such as you could never understand my glorious vision!"_

_"Try me," Riolu Kid dared._

_The Masked Man gestured to the ruined amusement park, to its smashed rollercoasters, its flooded tunnel of love and its burning funhouse. "An amusement park – a place rich with truth and ideals, filled with happy-go-lucky civilians, laughing and playing." He snorted. "Such trivialities are meaningless!" he declared, striking a fighting pose. "We're all born to die, Riolu Kid – some of us just expire quicker than others! Destroying this waste of time… I'm doing the world a favor, really!"_

_"So, random destruction makes you happy…" Riolu Kid gritted his teeth. "What about all of the innocent people here? You could have seriously hurt someone! Does that make you feel guilty or do you only care about yourself?!"_

_The Masked Man snickered. "Innocent lives? Who cares? This is an amusement park – and destruction amuses me!" he declared, pulling out a second Pokeball and throwing it into the air. "Go, Vullaby!" he shouted._

_His Pokemon, a fat, vulture-like Baby Pokemon with grey plumage and tiny wings, landed on the ground, shrieking angrily as it eyed its foes._

_"Is that the best you can do?" Riolu Kid asked, hardly impressed. "Riolu, get ready!"_

_"Rio!" Riolu declared, raising his fists and preparing to attack._

_"Confident, aren't you…" the Masked Man hissed. "Well, we'll just see how long that lasts! Prepare yourself for our secret Dark Technique!" he declared, clenching his fist._

_"Bring it!" Riolu Kid replied._

_"Vullaby, Dark Pulse!" the Masked Man declared._

_"Vulla!" Vullaby shrieked as a shield of shadowy energy formed around her plump body. With a screech, she unleashed a wave of pulsing, shadowy energy ripping through the air towards the waiting Riolu._

_Riolu Kid's eyes flashed. "Quick Attack through it!" he shouted._

_"Rio!" Riolu barked, shooting into the air like a bullet, tearing right through the wave of darkness like it was nothing. The Masked Man and Vullaby gaped in unison as the Fighting-type shrugged off the Dark Pulse and landed right in front of Vullaby, relatively unharmed._

_"W-w-what?!" the Masked Man shrieked. "Impossible! How did you do that?!" Noting the hero's silent response, he demanded, "Answer me!"_

_"No matter how terrifying the darkness can be…" Riolu Kid clenched his fist and raised it. "It's never unbeatable! And even if it was invincible, we'd never give up!"_

_The Masked Man scowled. "F-fool!" he snapped. "You think you can defeat me?!"_

_"Oh, I know that we can!" Riolu Kid cracked his knuckles. "And we will! Ice Punch!"_

_"Dodge it!" the Masked Man screamed._

_Vullaby flapped her wings, desperately trying to flit to the side to dodge Riolu's attack. However, the Fighting-type was much too quick for the Baby Pokemon. With a mighty shout the Riolu smashed his fist, coated with an icy aura, into the Vullaby's gut. The Bird Pokemon cried out in pain as ice began to crawl about her body, immobilizing her in a thick, frozen coat._

_"No!" the Masked Man screamed angrily, stamping his foot angrily on the ground._

_"It's over," Riolu Kid said sternly. "Give it up – now!"_

_The Masked Man swallowed and shrank back. "P-please…" he said, his voice going from enraged to meek and defenseless. "Spare me…" He fell to his knee, hiding his face behind his cape. In the meanwhile, his free hand reached down to his belt, grabbing a small, metallic cylinder from a clip._

_"Do you surrender?" Riolu Kid asked._

_The Masked Man nodded. "I… I do!"_

_"Then put your hands in the air," Riolu Man ordered._

_The Masked Man slowly raised his clenched hands into the air. His expression warped from his feigned fear to one of malicious glee. With a laugh that threw both Riolu Kid and Riolu off guard, he tossed a silvery ball at Riolu Kid. "Take that!"_

_"Rio!" Riolu cried. With a courage unseen in many lesser Pokemon, he threw himself loyally in front of his trainer. The metallic sphere exploded, releasing thick, sticky red goop all over the Fighting-type. Riolu gave a startled cry as he plopped to the ground, unable to move._

_"Riolu, no!" Riolu Kid cried._

_"Hah!" The Masked Man grinned wildly as he stood up, cracking his knuckles. "You're not so tough without your little friend, are you?" He struck a karate pose, and Riolu Kid swallowed, stepping backwards. "I'll crush your little neck with my own bare hands! Hiyaah!"_

_The Masked Man leaped at Riolu Kid who leaped forward to fight him…_

* * *

Tony swallowed. So far, no one had spoken or laughed at his performance – special emphasis on "so far." There had been a mistake in his tape, and since they were in a rush to get this over with (Brycen had other places to be) they had to leave it in.

Tony winced as perhaps the most embarrassing thing in the history of his life unfolded for everyone to see.

* * *

_Riolu Kid gave a shout as he ducked at lightning speed underneath the Masked Man's arms. There was a terrifying cracking noise as the hero's head came into contact with the villain's stomach._

_The Masked Man's eyes bugged out of his head. With a wheezing cry, he fell to his knees, clutching his wounded stomach in agony. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell to Riolu Kid's feet, thoroughly beaten. "I-i-impossible..." he gasped. _

_Riolu Kid stared wordlessly at the Masked Man, shocked by his foe's defeat. "I guess I overdid it a little…" he muttered aloud._

* * *

Tony nearly fell over. Everyone was silent, their eyes still glued intently on the screen, unaware of what had really happened during that cake.

It looked like he had tried to head-butt Brycen – in reality, Tony had tripped on his own cape and accidently collided with the actor's gut. Either Brycen was acting or he actually felt that blow, because he fell to the ground in a heap, unable or unwilling to continue the fight.

However, no one saw him trip; the camera had been position too close to the action to see his mistake! Whether the camerawoman had been zoomed in at the time or someone in editing saw it and removed it. Either way, Tony was saved!

* * *

_"Thank you so much, Riolu Kid!" the civilians called to their hero as he and his partner, now freed from the Masked Man's trap, walked off into the sunset._

_And so, the amusement park and all who were there were saved from destruction and death, thanks to… Riolu Kid!_

* * *

There was a whistle, and then a clap, and then another one.

Tony blinked as he finally registered what was going on. They were applauding him; they liked him. He did okay!

A light switched on, shining down upon him, surprising him. He stood up and looked around. Everyone was clapping politely and a few were even cheering. Even Roxie and her crew were applauding.

"Thank you very much for the talent, Tony Miller!" the announcer said.

Tony turned bright red, but smiled nonetheless. "W-well," he whispered to Lucky, "that wasn't so bad…"

"Freeh!" _Speak for yourself! You were gallivanting up on that stage with that weird dog thing, when you should have had a real heroic Pokemon – like Butterfree!_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**You have no idea how hard it was to not make a Great Saiyaman joke. **

**Reader Question Time! Who is your favorite superhero that someone other than you made up! I was a huge Spiderman fan as a kid, but I also like Batman. Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	24. Poke-Star Crisis!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony made his debut on the silver screen as the amazing Riolu Kid! As a fictional superhero, he faced down the deadly Masked Man and was able to defeat him through a Pokemon battle and a completely non-accidental head-butt! In the end, Tony's move was applauded and his surprising acting skills (namely derived from the fact he was pretending he was in a real dangerous situation) praised by the audience!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

"Excellent show, darling, excellent show!"

Mr. Deoh eagerly shook Tony's hand. The movie was over and the winner had been a unanimous decision. The majority of the audience had filed out by now, leaving Tony and co. behind for a quick congratulations.

"Seriously," Mr. Deoh went on, "you were really something! It was like you were actually in mortal danger!"

_Well, I was… sort of…_ Tony thought sheepishly. "With all due respect, the real thanks goes to Mr. Brycen," he said, gesturing to Gym Leader. "His ten second acting lesson was pretty amazing."

Brycen shook his head. "The student and the teacher must work in synchronism," he said. "The credit is equally your own."

"Well, it's not just that…" Tony said. "I, uh…" He leaned up and whispered into the older man's ear. "You were with the editing team, right? So, uh, you knew that the head-butt was an accident so you edited it out. Thanks, seriously."

Brycen gave a tiny smile. "The edit… was for purely selfish purposes, I assure you," he whispered back.

"Eh?"

"If anyone found out that a man like myself, who spent years perfecting my martial arts techniques, was beaten by a one-in-a-million accidental head-butt by a scrawny teenage boy…" Brycen shuddered. "I'd never live it down… As far as the crowd was concerned, we were acting."

"Oh." Tony shrugged. "But seriously, thanks."

"Don't mention it – seriously."

"I think you have a bright future in the show-business, young man!" Mr. Deoh interrupted proudly. "Tell me, how do you feel about romantic comedies?"

"W-well…" Tony said. "To be honest, sir, I'm on a Pokemon Journey right now that I want to finish and I have a friend I need to meet in Nimbasa City. I mean, I'll be sure to come back one day," he quickly said to soothe Mr. Deoh's feelings, "but I've set a goal and I need to stick to it."

Mr. Deoh smiled politely. "Very well, young man! Pokemon League first, movies later. Be sure to drop by again when you can! I'll see if I can get a part for you."

Tony nodded with a grin. "Sure thing!" he agreed. In all honesty, acting hadn't been so bad. He'd really have to try again someday.

"I can't believe I lost… to a kid who hasn't had a lesson before in his entire life…" Pop Roxie lameted, sitting morosely in his seat.

"Well, you _were_ jumping around the screen like a freakin' ballerina," Roxie told her father snidely.

"You don't have to be so mean…"

Roxie rolled her eyes at her dad's embarrassing pout. "Look, dad," she said, "you lost."

"I guess the audience just doesn't appreciate the spirit of a b-movie anymore…" Pop Roxie sighed. "Not every movie has to be deep and moving and stuff. Sometimes they should just be fun for the sake of having fun…"

Roxie groaned. "You're impossible!" she said, slapping her forehead.

Pop Roxie sighed again. "Well, I guess a deal's a deal…" he said morosely. "Back to the pier…" He stood up to leave.

"You know, dad…" Roxie muttered. "I mean… Running the ferry's not a bad job or anything, right?"

"It's not…" Pop agreed. "It is a good job – for the first fifteen years. But after a while, it starts to get stale. I don't want to be driving a boat forever, you know. So, I just thought I'd give acting a try…"

Roxie folded her arms behind her head, a sneer forming on her formally tame face. "Acting," she spat. "Who cares? I mean, if you were acting you'd be flying all around the world for movie premiers and junk like that."

Pop Roxie slowly turned to his daughter. "Roxie…" he said, "did you set this all up because you were worried that if I became a movie star I'd forget about you?"

Roxie turned red. "N-n-n… Don't be stupid! Of course not! I just didn't want you getting your hopes up or anything, that's all!"

Anyone else would have bought it, but Pop Roxie could see through his daughter like any good father could. It all became clear, not just to him but to everyone: Roxie was angry because she thought her father would devote his life to stardom – that he'd became so absorbed and obsessed with the theatrical arts, he'd stop spending time with his daughter.

Pop Roxie grinned as he wrapped his daughter into a warm Beartic hug. "Oh, honeysuckle!" he cooed, rubbing his cheek on his daughter's white hair. "You were afraid your old man would forget about you!"

"N-no I wasn't!" Roxie lied. "Let go! Dad…!"

"Roxie…" Pop Roxie's voice went from whimsical to serious. "I could never forget my own daughter. Even if I did become a big-time actor, I'm your father first and foremost." He kissed the top of her head. "And don't you ever forget it."

Roxie turned as red as a tomato. She was humiliated, yes, but she couldn't stop the tiny relieved smile from crossing her lips. "D-dad…" she muttered, feeling relieved.

"Wow." Tony's voice brought Roxie out her enlightenment. "That was actually kind of cute," the bug-catcher said, genuinely impressed.

Roxie's snarled. "S-shut up!" she shouted.

Tony couldn't help but grin; the rocker's tantrums weren't so threatening after that little scene.

That should have been the end of Tony's time in Virbank City. After all, Roxie and her father were happy again, he had a Gym Badge, he had learned to act, and he knew where to find a boat to take him back to Eastern Unova. All in all, it had been a pretty good day. What could possibly ruin it?

"Sir! Sir!"

The talent scout who had recruited both Tony and Pop ran into the theater, a frantic expression painted on his normally jovial face. "We have a situation!" he shouted.

"What is it?" Mr. Deoh asked.

"Three people in black just attacked our Pokemon Trailer!" the scout cried.

"Pokemon what?" Tony asked. Since when did Pokemon need a trailer?

"It's where the studio Pokemon go to eat and rest in-between films," Pop Roxie explained.

"Not anymore they won't!" the scout cried. "Those thug… they stole every single Pokemon! They've been kidnapped!"

"What?!" Mr. Deoh exclaimed, clutching his chest. For a moment, Tony was worried that he had had a heart-attack. "K-kidnapped?! Call Officer Jenny, at once!"

Roxie turned to Brycen. While she had never met the man before today, she knew that they were both Gym Leaders and therefore both responsible for protecting the peace as well as challenging trainers. "Brycen!" she began.

Brycen cut her off. "I know. We'll have to find them. Where did the criminals go?" he asked the scout.

"They ran out of the studios and into Virbank!" the scout said. "They said they were going to release them into the wild or something like that!"

Pop Roxie scratched his head. "Release them?" he asked naively. "They went to this much trouble just to release some Pokemon? Who would do that?" Evidently, Pop Roxie's acting lessons had interfered with his ability to watch the morning news.

Tony's eyes became icy. "Team Plasma," he hissed.

* * *

It was days like this that made Kayla love her job.

Crime was her way of life – crime and suffering and death – the sheer euphoria of her deviancy, her complete disregard for the laws of society and the preciousness of life, the panicked, terrified expressions of onlookers, the pleads of hostages, the sobs of small children… Bliss. Literal physical pleasure that she could never seem to get enough of.

Since the day she turned ten she had lived this way – surviving only on what didn't belong to her, whether it be by begging or stealing. And when begging quickly proved to be ineffectual, she turned to thievery, and then to arson, and then to armed robbery, and then to murder.

She danced across Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Orre, and Sinnoh. She stood proudly in the ranks of organizations like Team Rocket, Team Magma, Cipher and Team Galactic. She laughed as the world burned around her, more than happy to add fuel to the fire.

And then she got caught. At first, she hadn't thought much of it; she had been caught before, dubbed insane, and stuffed into an asylum somewhere. Three times had she been caught in the past, and three times had she escaped with relative ease. Unfortunately, when she was caught in Sinnoh the local government had decided to actually try to keep her incarcerated. She had been shipped to Devil's Isle, a "maximum security" prison off the coast of Unova, shoved into a six-by-seven feet cell with a mat and a toilet, and left to die. No one had thought she would ever escape again.

But she did – and now she had an awful lot of catching up to do. So, she looked for work. She found it with some group of weirdoes called Team Plasma, spewing some slop about "Pokemon Liberation." Kayla didn't give a Patrat's rear end about Pokemon rights (she had committed a fair amount of Pokecide to go with the homicide) but she wanted the money – and she needed to get her fix.

They hired her and told her to attack Poke-Star Studios and free the "enslaved" Pokemon there. Kayla was all too happy to oblige. At first, she had been planning to bomb the studios and then steal the Pokemon, but there was something about having no plan, about plain chaos for the sake of pleasure, that drove her crazier than usual.

"R-rio…" the Riolu tucked underneath her arm sniveled pitifully, wriggling useless in an attempt to escape from her grip.

Kayla's dark smirk only grew as she fled Poke-Star. The only way this could get any better is if there was a hero to try to stop her – a hero she could crush and devastate.

Apparently, wishes do come true.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry this chapter is late. Fragging homework… You know, I'm starting to wish I had gone to trade school… Also, I really, really hated how the first couple drafts of this one turned out. I'm really kind of angry about that. I honestly think I should have done it right the first time.**

**Anyways, movie time is over. Now it's panic time! Poke-Star Studios was attacked by Team Plasma, led by none other than Kayla Reeds, Tony's psychotic foe from Pokemon Red: Tony's Journey. I'm trying to change her from just a crazy lunatic to a Vincent Price as Rattigan kind of villain: someone who just loves wanton violence, mayhem and crime. Someone who gets off watching people suffer. A real lunatic. To be fair, though, Pokemon's had loonies before…**

**Rated E for Everyone – Until Ghetsis tries to MURDER you. **

**As to those who were hoping that I would stick in Poke-Star Studios longer, sorry but this is a journey story. Tony will come back for more movies one day though! We will come back here eventually! :D**

**Oh, yeah, Mega Blastoise, Charizard and Venusaur have been announced. I think they look pretty decent, but I'm praying that Game Freak doesn't go crazy with all of these Mega Evolutions – unless going crazy means Mega Ariados, then we good. **

**Reader Question Time! The Mega Kanto Starters! What is your opinion on them, and if you like one which is your favorite? Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	25. The Plasma Hunt Begins

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony was congratulated for a job well done after his theatrical premier while Pop Roxie learned that his daughter didn't want him to become an actor because she was afraid that he wouldn't have any time for her anymore. Father and daughter made up and all was well, until an alarm was raised that a trio of criminals had stolen the studio's Pokemon actors, claiming that they were going to liberate them! Team Plasma has returned!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Team Plasma; arguably the most infamous organization in Unova and maybe even the world now. They were a cult of dangerous, intolerant Pokemon Liberationists who believed that Pokemon could only be "perfect" if they were free in the wild, and that humans who competed in the Pokemon League or kept Pokemon for pets were slave drivers and monsters.

Tony, as you probably know, had much experience with Team Plasma. Everywhere he had traveled seemed to have been affected by them: they had corrupted Chili, one of the Striaton City Gym Leader, stolen Pokemon from innocent people, stolen a skull from the Nacrene Museum, kidnapped Hawes, husband of Nacrene City Gym Leader Lenora, attacked Tony and his friends on multiple occasions during the bug-catcher's journey, and, their crowning achievement, had invaded Nimbasa City and held it hostage for a few brief hours before the invasion was foiled by a skilled team of S.W.A.T Jennies.

Needless to say, Tony thought very little of Team Plasma. He saw them as incompetent (full-grown adults unable to beat him, a mere fourteen-year-old), cowardly (constantly running away from him, again a mere fourteen-year-old), hypocritical (they preached that keeping Pokemon in Pokeballs was wrong and that using them for battle was wrong, but they did both of those things), and, of course, morally abhorrent. Even someone who wasn't raised in a traditional, old-values family like Tony was could see that there was just something off-putting about the cult.

If he had the option, Tony would have avoided Team Plasma like the plague. Unfortunately, their actions constantly drew him into a confrontation with them. It seemed as though everywhere he went Team Plasma was right behind him and ready to ruin someone else's life.

Mystico and Numera didn't help his opinion at all, especially after their recent betrayal. Mystico had been perhaps the most devout Plasma Tony had seen (ironic, considering his ultimate betrayal by the Plasma King). Despite his evident buffoonish behavior he displayed a deadly cunning and diabolical sense of street smarts. Numera was probably worse; she had hardly cared about Team Plasma's ultimate goal. She only cared that they had appreciated her genius and had promoted her to a high rank the moment she was allowed in. It was all about ego for that one.

Not only were the ex-knights alive, but Team Plasma was alive and well also, even with its leader, the Arch-Sage Ghetsis, locked tightly on Devil's Isle. Of course, logic dictated that these three Plasmas were very likely just some leftover members the police hadn't gotten around to arresting yet. They could hardly be considered too dangerous; for all the resentment and fear Tony held for the cult, they usually had low to mid-level Pokemon on their teams, relying on numbers rather than skill or power. Regardless, they were still stealing away Pokemon from their friends and family, deluded in the notion that they knew best, and oblivious or unsympathetic to the devastation they left in their wake.

Gym Leader or not, legal obligation or not, Tony was not about to let them get away with this if he could help it. And so it came to pass that Tony followed Brycen and Roxie in pursuit of the Plasmas, leaving Poke-Star Studios and Virbank City altogether. They rushed to the east of the port-city, to the lush Route 20.

Route 20 was a nightmare for any sort of hunting: lots of tall hills, tall grass, and tall trees shielding just about everything. The Plasmas could be anywhere, and the fact that it was becoming dark out wouldn't speed the search at all.

Roxie growled irritably as she surveyed the landscape, seeing neither hide nor hair of the Plasmas. "Great," she grunted. "Where'd they go?"

Tony was in an equally dismal mood. "They could be anywhere," he muttered to Lucky.

"Freeh," the Butterfree agreed, nodding her tiny head.

Fortunately, they had Brycen with them. The older Gym Leader had switched from his Masked Man costume to his usual, if not more bizarre, attire, which consisted of long, flowing robes colored light-blue and white. They reminded Tony of when his mother was brainwashed into working for the Plasmas, forced into the persona of Lady Frost, clad in an outlandish outfit and sent to attack innocent Pokemon Trainers.

He shivered angrily; yet another reason to hate Team Plasma.

"They couldn't have gotten too far," Brycen reasoned, "if they are on foot. However, it is very likely that they have an escape vehicle of some sort."

Tony nodded. Team Plasma was by no means the smartest bunch but they weren't dumb or insane enough to not have an escape plan. Then again, they had just attacked Poke-Star with only three goons and a haphazard plan to go with them, and to be honest Tony had seen them do much dumber things than this. "I don't know…" he said. "I mean, I've had a lot of experience with these guys. They aren't the sharpest tools in the shed."

"What you saying?" Roxie asked.

"What I'm saying is, they might not have an escape vehicle," Tony said. "I mean, Poke-Star Studios is a relatively public place with hundreds of witnesses, right? But those Plasmas just ran in, scooped up whatever they could, and ran out. Not exactly a great plan, is it?"

"Heh, you're right," Roxie agreed. "What a bunch of morons."

"They did incapacitate the security guards at the gate," Brycen pointed out. "Regardless of their intelligence, they are still dangerous. Perhaps it would be best for me to forge ahead. You two can wait for Officer Jenny."

Naturally, that plan did not sit well with the younger trainers. "Fat chance!" Roxie spat. "What, you think you're the boss of me just because you've been a Gym Leader longer?"

Tony took the politer and more logical approach. "There's three of them and three of us. They've already got the advantage of cover, so let's not give them the advantage of numbers, too. Besides," he added grimly, "I'm really getting sick and tired of these jerks ruining everything."

Brycen sighed and turned away. "Follow if you wish," he said so quietly that Tony had to strain his ears to hear it. With that, the actor walked off into Route 20, his keen eyes searching for clues.

Tony and Roxie pulled out their Pokeballs and followed suit.

* * *

The search was off to a good start. They found an exhausted-looking hiker by the side of the road, who said that he had seen three people in black, two women and one man, run by with bulging sacks of some sort. They had been in a rush, running by too quickly for them to notice the hiker, who was unaware of just how lucky he was to have escaped their notice. He pointed our heroes in the direction the Plasmas ran and they were off again.

The sun was starting to set over Unova, but it was still bright enough that they caught a few clues: Roxie spotted scattered boot-prints in the dirt, leading into a nearby shrouded forest. Brycen found a torn piece of black cloth on a low-hanging tree branch. They were lucky; as the Plasmas got farther and farther away from Poke-Star, they started getting sloppy and careless.

As Tony had said: Plasmas were not the sharpest tools in the shed. But Kayla loved sharp things.

* * *

"Go on, little Riolu. You're free now!"

Aldith was down on her knees, her hands gesturing to the tiny canine. Riolu stared back with an expression of timidity and aggression, shivering as he shielded the other captured Pokemon – consisting of a Vullaby, a terrier-like Pokemon called Herdier, and a Pawniard – from the Plasma, as if she intended to harm them.

"Go on! Shoo!" Aldith said, sugarcoating her voice to encourage the Pokemon. "You're free now. No human will ever bother you again."

"N-niard…?" Pawniard asked Riolu; despite his fearsome appearance, the Dark/Steel-type was very timid.

"R-rio…" Riolu replied nervously.

Herdier, the eldest Pokemon present, growled angrily at the Plasmas. "Rowf!" he barked, baring his fangs.

Aldith leaped to her feet, scowling at the hesitation and hostility. "Look at them!" she snapped to Barret. "They've been ruined!"

Barret, who was leaning against a tall oak tree, nodded. "Blast it all…" he muttered angrily, clenching his fist.

The Plasmas were hidden underneath a thick shroud of trees and foliage, almost invisible in their dark uniforms. They had chosen this moment to try and release the liberated Pokemon, but the poor souls were too reliant on their masters, too weak to ever comprehend survival in the wild.

It was enough to break Aldith's heart. Humans! Humans had done this! It was times like this when she was revolted by her own existence as a miserable miserly human being. It was times like this when she wished that she too could be a Pokemon.

"What do we do?" she finally asked her partner.

"Our King has ordered these Pokemon liberated," Barret replied with a shrug. "I guess we should just leave them here, let them sort things out themselves."

Aldith shook her head. "Maybe we could bring them to the King! He can speak to Pokemon. He can make them understand!"

"Our King is busy," Barret argued, "planning an operation to save Arch-Sage Ghetsis. He can't speak to every Pokemon that we free."

"Then what do we do?" Aldith asked.

"Oh, I'll tell you what we do."

Both Plasmas shivered in unison as their squad-leader walked into their clearing. She was clad in a black trench-coat and had equally dark hair, messy and unkempt, shrouding her head like a hood. Her face was pale from years of living within a sunless prison cell. Her white face and dark garbs gave her the appearance of a feminine Grim Reaper, not helping the Plasmas' fears.

Kayla Reeds, anarchist supreme and mercenary for hire. As vile as human beings, even by Plasma standards. A sociopathic murderer who had worked with Team Rocket, the exact antithesis of Team Plasma (in the minds of Team Plasma, mind you).

Neither Aldith nor Barret had wanted to work with Reeds. Neither of them understood why their King, in his infinite wisdom, had chosen to hire her. Keep in mind that both Plasmas had served under Sir Mystico, and while they had thought that he had mental issues, they knew for a fact that Kayla was absolutely off her rocker.

"I tell you what we do," Kayla said again. "See, these poor little tykes aren't wild Pokemon anymore. They're domesticated – tame." She cast a disdainful look down at the petrified Pokemon. "Poor dears are completely lost. Only thing to do is…" she reached underneath her trench-coat and pulled out a long, shining knife, "put 'em out of their misery."

"What?!" Barret and Aldith exclaimed in unison.

"It's only merciful," Kayla said with a pout on her colorless lips. "Why make them suffer under human control any longer?" she asked.

"There has to be another way!" snapped Barret.

Aldith was equally hostile towards the looney. "You're not a Rocket anymore, Reeds! You're a Plasma now! To kill a Pokemon is blasphemy!"

"Blasphemy," Kayla repeated thoughtfully. "That's a big word, isn't it?" She scratched her chin thoughtfully. "See, this is why I'm not religious. Too many rules."

"We're not killing them," Aldith growled.

Kayla almost laughed at the grunts' false courage. She knew petrified little corpses-in-waiting when she saw them. Still, might as well humor them; she wanted to stick around with the Plasmas for a while. Not because she cared, of course. She just wanted to see how things turned out.

"Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine…" Kayla said rapidly. "I won't slit the little bugger's throats. Condemn to further misery if you must," she said, feigning a regal tone. "Oh, yeah, by the way," she added, "three Pokemon Trainers are following us."

"What?!" Aldith screeched.

"Shh!" Barret hushed her, not wanting to give away their position.

"Why didn't you tell us before?!" Aldith demanded in a hushed tone.

"Slipped my mind," Kayla said innocently.

"Great," Aldith growled. "Now what do we do?"

Kayla smirked. "I'm glad you asked," she said with a chuckle. "Let's split up. You two take the Pokemon with you. They'll have to split up to catch us, and then we beat 'em when they're weaker. Divide and conquer, right?"

The two Plasmas slowly nodded; that was the first sensible thing Kayla had said all day. "R-right," Barret said. "Where do we meet up when we lose them?" he asked.

Kayla was already walking away from the grunts. "We'll meet up back at base!" she called. "Try not to screw this up, kiddies. I'd hate to lose some innocent Pokemon back to their slave-drivers."

And with that, she was gone, vanishing into the darkness.

Aldith and Barret scooped up the Pokemon as best they could and beat a hasty retreat. "You think her plan will work?" Barret asked.

"Don't know, don't care!" his companion replied. "Let's just get out of here! Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll all go after her! It wouldn't be much of a loss."

Barret nodded. Maybe they would get lucky; maybe Kayla would be arrested again.

He could always dream.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**I'm starting to smell an episode of Scooby-Doo coming along.**

**Reader Question**** Time! Which new location in Black 2 and White 2 do you think was the coolest? Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	26. Kayla's Deception

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Poke-Star Studios was robbed by Team Plasma and infamous psychopath Kayla Reeds! Tony, Roxie, and Brycen were quick to pursue them to Unova Route 20, where the Plasmas disappeared amongst the foliage and hills. Our heroes trudged bravely on into the wild, tracking the Plasmas as best they could, unaware that the Plasmas had caught wind of their approach, and were planning a little trap to use against them…**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

"Look! More footprints!"

Tony's cry quickly summoned Roxie and Brycen to his side. Sure enough, deep footprints were set in the dirt. Some were clearly human boot-prints and some were the paw-prints of Pokemon. The human footprints had split up, one set going to the east and the other two going west.

"They've split up," Brycen said calmly. "They must have seen us coming."

"Looks like they tried to let the Pokemon free into the wild…" Tony observed from the footprints. "But it doesn't look like they wanted to."

Brycen nodded. "Those Pokemon were born and raised in Poke-Star," he explained. "They've never been in the wild alone before, and they know that they couldn't survive out here alone. That must be why they didn't try to run from the Plasmas; they were too scared."

Roxie spat on the ground. "Freakin' Plasmas," she grunted. "Don't they ever bother researching the Pokemon they're gonna steal?!"

Tony nodded in agreement; domesticated Pokemon weren't likely to survive if released into the wild again. Once again, it bears emphasis to state that Plasmas were generally not the smartest people out there. "What now?" the bug-catcher asked Brycen. "Should we split up?

Brycen nodded briefly. "Yes," he said quietly. "I'll go this way," he said, gesturing to the duo of footprints on the ground. "You go after the other one."

"It'd be two-on-one, both way," Roxie muttered. "But you'd be outnumbered. You don't need to coddle us, y'know."

"I know," Brycen replied coolly. "However, they're simply hired thugs. From what I have seen of them in the past, they are not particularly strong."

"He's right," Tony agreed. One Gym Leader, especially an experienced Gym Leader like Brycen was supposed to be, was more than enough to take on two Plasma Grunts. Heck, Tony himself had defeated several grunts in his time, most of them with minimal effort from both him and his Pokemon.

"Fine," Roxie agreed. "Let's take these losers out! No one pulls this kind of crud in my town and gets away with it!"

"Right!" Tony agreed.

"Roxie," Brycen said, handing the girl a piece of paper. "This is my xtransceiver number. Call me if anything comes up."

Roxie nodded. "Right," she said.

With heads held high and courageous hearts, the team split up into the increasingly darkening forest.

* * *

"Hah… Hah… Hah… W-why didn't I ever… finish P.E. when I was in school?" Barret whined, gasping for breath.

Aldith wasn't any better. She was soaked with sweat and legs felt like jelly. The Pawniard, who was tucked underneath her arm, had cut open the sack she had shoved him into. The Dark/Steel-type was whining pitifully, shaking his arms frantically and nearly slicing open the Plasma Grunt's skin multiple times. "T-this is crazy!" she snapped. "W-why didn't we have an escape car or something set up?" she asked.

"Don't ask me…" Barret groaned. "I'm not the one who set this up! Ask Reeds – if you want."

Aldith scowled; they both knew that asking Reeds was a bad idea. "N-never mind," she said. "J-just phone H.Q. for a pick-up!"

Barret nodded. See, if either of them had passed high-school they would have thought of that sooner. "Got it," he said, reaching for his walkie-talkie.

"Cryogonal, Ice Beam."

A flashing beam of pure cold lanced across the clearing, splashing against the surprised Barret. An icy ring formed around his arms and torso, slowly crawling down to his legs and completely immobilizing him. The male grunt cried out as he bit the dust, face-first.

Brycen stepped into the clearing, followed by his partner. Cryogonal was a chilly-looking snowflake-shaped Pokemon with a pair of neon-glowing eyes that shined in the darkness. "Hello there," Brycen said coolly.

Aldith's eyes flashed with recognition. "You!" she hissed. "You're a Gym Leader!"

Brycen nodded.

Aldith reached for her own Pokeball. "I wouldn't," Brycen warned. "You're outmatched."

"S-shut up!" Aldith snapped.

The Icy Gym Leader ignored the Plasma. "Pawniard, come here," he said soothingly.

Pawniard's eyes widened with recognition. "Niard!" he cheered. Forgetting his previous cowardice, he tore himself from Aldith's arms and rushed over to the Gym Leader.

Aldith gaped. "W-wha…?" she began.

Suddenly, there was a powerful squirm from the sack she had slung over her shoulder. Herdier burst out with a happy bark. The bag that Barret had held exploded as well, releasing Vullaby and Riolu. The studio Pokemon all happily ran over to the familiar face of the movie-star.

Brycen gave a small smile. "All present and accounted for," he said quietly, deeply relieved. The other Plasma must have gotten separated from the others, then.

"W-what are you doing?!" Aldith shouted to the Pokemon. "He's a Gym Leader, for Pete's sake!"

"A Gym Leader who has known these Pokemon all their lives," Brycen replied coldly, casting an icy glare at the Plasmas. "These Pokemon you've stolen. They are not wild Pokemon. All they've ever known is being cared for by humans. If you had left them out here on their own…" he narrowed his eyes "they would have died."

Aldith stuttered incomprehensibly, at a loss as to what to say. Surely there was something in Plasma Doctrine that could counter this? "Y-you…"

"I helped raise these Pokemon," Brycen added, stepping closer to the Plasma. His Cryogonal floated at his side; the two seemed to be competing to see who had the iciest glare. "They're friends of mine." He paused and took a deep breath. Slowly, he swayed his body and raised his arms in a karate pose.

"I don't like it," Brycen whispered, "when people kidnap my friends."

Any reply Aldith could have mustered was silence when the Ice-type Gym Leader firmly planted his boot into her mouth.

* * *

Leaves and twigs gently crunched as Tony and Roxie rushed as quietly as they could through the thick forest. The boot-prints kept on steadily across the soft forest earth, seeming to stretch on for an eternity, never leading them to their target, dooming them to continue their pursuit.

Soon, the sun dipped behind the horizon. Stars began to blink into existence across the violet sky. Night had arrived, and Tony found himself deep within an unfamiliar, overgrown forest – again.

Given the growing shadows, Tony pulled out one of his Pokeballs and popped it open during one of their brief breaks. "Sunny, come out!" he said.

The furry Larvesta plopped to the earth with an adorable "Vrr!" relieved to finally be outside of her cramped Pokeball.

Roxie frowned, rubbing her exhausted legs. "That Larvesta again…" she muttered. Sunny had been the Pokemon Tony had used to defeat her in the N1.

"Sunny, think you can give us a little extra light?" Tony asked, ignoring Roxie.

"Vrr!" Sunny chirped, her body flashing bright red. The tiny red horns on her head began to glow a bright orange color, easily illuminating the area.

Tony grinned. "Heheh. Bug-type Pokemon are great," he declared.

Roxie rolled her eyes, though she didn't really disagree.

"Alright," Tony said, clapping his hands. "Let's get a move on! We need to save those Pokemon!"

"Right!" Roxie agreed.

"Vrr!" Sunny cooed, not really knowing what was going on.

Before they could continue on, a shrill rock ballad blasted from Roxie's wrist, signaling that she had a call on her hand xtransceiver. The rocker-girl quickly answered the phone. "Yeah?" she asked.

Brycen's monotone face appeared. "It's me. I've caught the Plasmas with the Pokemon. Forget about the last one. Go back to Virbank." Brycen's face vanished from the screen, ending the call before Roxie could even get a word in.

Tony gave a breath of relief. "Thank goodness," he said.

"I can't believe we came all this way for nothing!" Roxie muttered. "I didn't get to make that shmuck pay…"

"Ah, it's not so bad," Tony replied. While he didn't like letting a Plasma escape, he knew that pursuing him further would be a bad idea. "Come on, let's just head back for now. Besides, I need to call my aunt and let her know I'm okay." He shivered, knowing that he would either have to lie and feel horrible or tell the truth and get scolded. Aunt Sally hate, hate, _hated_ it when Tony got into trouble.

The two humans and their Pokemon were about to head back, when…

"…Help…!"

Tony blinked. "Did you hear that?" he asked Roxie.

Roxie nodded. "Yeah…"

"Help!" the voice, feminine and panicked, cried again.

"Who's there?" Roxie shouted. "Where are you?"

"I fell off of a cliff!" the voice cried. "Hurry!"

"We're coming!" Tony cried. "Hang on! Just keep shouting so we can find you!"

The woman complied. Tony and Roxie, being the good guys that they were, rushed into a desperate search for the woman without a second thought. It didn't take long for them to find her; there weren't all that many cliffs around here.

They found her at the edge of a tree-covered plateau. A single gloved-hand was clenching the top of the cliff, grasping it desperately. Had it not been for Sunny's blaze, they would have completely missed her hand.

"Can't… hold on!" the woman cried, her fingers trembling.

Tony rushed forward. "Hold on… just a little longer!" he shouted. He threw himself to the ground and reached down the cliff, grasping for the woman's free hand. "Grab on!"

She did grab on – and her grip was like an iron clamp. Then there was a tug, and in an instant Tony knew something was very, very wrong.

There was a cold chuckle and then a powerful yank. With a scream. Tony was yanked off the cliff and down to the depths below.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**X and Y News! **

**Freaking Mega Garchomp. I like Garchomp and all, but Mega Garchomp… it changed almost nothing. Jeez. On the bright side, T-Rex Pokemon! Whoot! Also Froakie's evolution looks pretty boss. Actually kind of makes me want to use Froakie over Chespin…**

**Also, more Team Flare imagery. Why the heck do the Flare Admins (?) look like the Sailor Scouts? I mean, seriously. Wow.**

**This game is gonna be freaking weird… I can't wait! :D**

**Anyways, Reader Question Time! I know that the Mega-Evolutions are getting pretty redundant and all, but which Pokemon do you think would benefit from a Mega-Evolution? I personally think Jynx needs one, because she never gets enough love. D: Also, Mega-Garbodor would be pretty sweet… You could have him, like, absorb an entire wrecked car or have a wrecking ball hand. :D**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	27. Surprises after surprise

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and co. rushed into Unova Route 20 in search of Team Plasma Grunts who had stolen Pokemon from Poke-Star Studios! When they discovered that the Plasmas had split up, our heroes separated as well, Brycen going on way and Tony and Roxie going the other. However, while Brycen quickly found and rescued the kidnapped Pokemon, Tony and Roxie quickly found themselves in a deadly trap that left Tony dangling off of a cliff!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Anyone who saw her didn't recognize her. They didn't know who this stranger was, not in Virbank. If you asked her, she'd probably just say she was passing through town, looking for a friend. She was just a traveler.

The traveler stood silently as she watched the scene play out at the entrance to Route 20. A man and a woman in black, both of them shivering miserably, were loaded onto a police van and carried off to inevitable imprisonment. A tall, cold-looking man was talking to an Officer Jenny, both of them looking quite concerned.

"They haven't come back yet?"

"I called them some time ago… I don't know what could have gone wrong…"

"Try calling them again."

"I did. Roxie isn't answering."

"This is bad… You said there were three Plasmas, right? They might have run into the last one."

The icy man went silent.

"Sir… Maybe the last Plasma was the strongest one…"

"…I've made a dangerous error in judgment."

"Don't worry, Mr. Brycen! We'll have a chopper in the air as soon as we can! We'll find them!"

The traveler narrowed her eyes. There was trouble on Route 20. And where there was trouble, Tony was sure to be nearby.

She pulled out her Pokeball and got to work.

* * *

Kayla gave a shrill laugh as she pulled Tony over, her voice changing from the soft, desperate tone to one of manic and malicious pleasure.

Tony didn't even have the time to scream as he hurtled over the edge, flailing his arms about uselessly. The cliff wasn't too high as far as cliffs go, only about thirty feet high, but that was more than enough to kill him should he hit the bottom, especially seeing as he was falling headfirst.

I mean, surviving a fall that high? That'd be stupid…

Speaking being of stupid, Tony had recovered enough of his senses to begin mentally berating himself as he plummeted to his doom. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ he thought. _Why did I do that?! It was so obviously a trap! _

Well, in all actuality he could hardly be blamed for his bravery. After all, he had intended to help who he thought was either a helpless, lost hiker or a Plasma who had fallen off a cliff and would be easy to take down after a brush with death. He didn't expect the woman to be a dangerous sociopath, who had been patiently waiting for the two foolish children to walk into her web.

Regardless of Tony's kind nature and/or foolishness, he was still falling, the ground approaching rapidly. The bug-catcher yelped as he flailed his arms about, reaching for a branch to interrupt his fall, or at the very least allow him to change his trajectory so that he would land on his legs and break those instead of breaking his neck. His fingers uselessly scraped past a few branches, unable to grasp anything at all.

He saw the ground get closer and closer. With little better to do, Tony closed his eyes, covered his face with his arms, and braced for impact.

Suddenly, there was an avian screech, followed by the ruffling of feather. A pair of sharpened claws sunk into Tony's back, grasping his shirt and tearing gently into his skin.

Tony jerked forward with a gasp as he was lifted into the air. He would assuredly have a small case of whiplash for the next few days, but he would survive the fall.

Without any time to comprehend what had happened, Tony was carried off by the bird-like Pokemon. Somehow, unconsciousness, likely due to the shock, took ahold of him. His eyes slowly rolled shut, and he was carried off by the strange bird to parts unknown.

* * *

Tony wasn't exactly Roxie's favorite person in the world. Sure, he had really climbed up the tiers in the past couple of hours, seeing as how he had reunited her with her father, helped her get into Poke-Star Studio, and, to be fair, had given her a good fight for her Gym Badge. He was alright, she had decided, but not exactly her best friend.

However, best friend or not, Roxie couldn't help but scream as Tony was pulled over the edge of the cliff and dragged into the oblivion below. "No!"

Lucky and Sunny shrieked in terror and agony as they watched their trainer and friend vanish. The former was off like a bullet, her massive wings carrying her through the air and down into the abyss below, desperate to save her best friend.

A slow, dark chuckles emanated from the cliff as Kayla agilely flipped onto the ledge, a dirt-covered knife clenched in one hand, likely used to help hold her in place. "What's the matter?" she asked in feigned confusion. "Aren't you going to help me up like your friend did?"

Roxie swore and spat on the ground. _"You freak!"_ she screeched.

Kayla ignored the insult, her smirk growing all the wider. "Oh, don't be sad," she cooed. "You'll be joining him soon enough." She grinned manically as she brandished her knife and stalked towards the Poison-type Gym Leader.

"Vrr!" Sunny cried, breathing a plume of flames at the lunatic. Kayla effortlessly leaped back, the fireball harmlessly exploding on the ground.

Roxie whipped out a Pokeball. "I'm gonna make you pay!" she promised, opening the capture device. "Koffing, go!" she ordered.

The Poison Gas Pokemon emerged in the air, angrily breathing out toxic fumes. "Coffee!" she rasped.

"Use Veno-Shock!" Roxie screamed.

A gurgling, frothing liquid began to froth from Koffing's gaping maw. A hissing purple pus oozed from her mouth, signaling a blast of glowing, rancid poison targeted directly at Kayla.

If Kayla felt genuinely threatened, she didn't show it. With her usual smirk, she leaped to the side, the toxic ooze hissing as it splattered against the ground. Sunny breathed another massive plume of fire at the lunatic, but once again Kayla dodged it.

"Keep shooting!" Roxie ordered angrily.

Kayla laughed. "Come on!" she taunted. "You'll have to do better than that!"

"Shut up!" Roxie snapped.

"Coffee!" Koffing agreed, hurling another bucket's worth of poisonous brew at her target.

By now, the cliff was beginning to reek of burning toxins. A fetid mist was rising into the sky, the fumes souring the air. Roxie didn't care, though; all she could think of was bringing this slippery psychopath down.

Unfortunately for her, Kayla was slipperier than a greased Tynamo on an ice rink. She weaved shadow-like through the hail-fire of lethal attacks, giggling all the way as her opponents wasted their precious energy, gleefully anticipating the terrified look on the Gym Leader's face when she realized just how dead she was about to be.

It wouldn't be long now.

* * *

"T-that's… Roxie?"

The traveler gritted her teeth as she shot towards the cliff, the air whistling as she cut through it. A pair of leathery black wings beat the air, carrying the traveler and her companion through the skies as their keen eyes sought out her target: Tony.

"It is Roxie… but who's that she's fighting?" she asked her companion.

"Eeeek!" her Pokemon replied.

Before she could say anything else, something caught the traveler's eye. There was a hot-looking flash on the side of the cliff, brought about by a Fire-type attack. Her keen eyes scanned the rocky outcrop, and quickly caught sight of a tiny Larvesta fighting alongside Roxie.

_Sunny!_ the traveler thought. Sure, all Larvesta looked the same to humans, but the species itself was incredibly rare and usually secretive. They certainly didn't live around these parts either. So, there was a good chance that that Larvesta was indeed Tony's friend. "Swoobat, head down there! Quick!"

"Eeeek!" the furry creature replied, quickly snapping into a nosedive.

* * *

Kayla had battled against people like Roxie before. Young, emotional, temperamental – and stupid. Which was just the way Kayla liked her walking corpses.

The Virbank Gym Leader's face was bright red as she screeched orders to her weakening Koffing, desperately trying to land a single hit on her opponent. Similarly, the Larvesta was breathing fireball after fireball, each one missing completely. Roxie never made an attempt to communicate a plan to Victim Number One's Pokemon, choosing instead to keep firing uselessly at Kayla.

Kayla's smirk widened. It would take more than some pipsqueak Pokemon to take her back in. All those years of running from the Jennies had put a spectacular spring in her step, even in her steadily advancing age.

"Come on!" Roxie shrieked. "Hit her!"

Too late for that, Kayla thought (among other things). By now, Koffing was weakly panting, fetid sludge oozing uselessly from her mouth to the ground. She tried to spit another attack at Kayla, but was already too exhausted. Sunny was little better, smoke harmlessly drifting from her mandibles. The cliff looked like a cross between a detonated minefield and a toxic waste dump, charred earth and splattered sludge everywhere.

Kayla chuckled; she had them.

"Koffing…" Roxie's temper cooled just enough to show concern, "are you okay?"

"C-coffee…" Koffing wheezed.

"Not for long," Kayla said. She cracked her knuckles and slowly began to advance. "What's the matter?" she asked the Pokemon. "Are you tried? I'm not. Don't worry, though, I understand. How about I head on home and let you all take a nice, long, _permanent_ nap?" With a glint in her black eyes, she drew a long, silvery dagger from her sleeve, double-edged and razor-sharp. "Since you put up a good fight, and since I'm in a bit of a hurry, I'll do us both a favor and make it really quick."

Roxie's hand quickly shot for Whirlipede's Pokeball. Kayla, sadly, was faster. The lunatic swiftly seized the rocker with a willowy hand, crushing the girl's arm and picking her up into the air. Roxie cried out in anguish and hatred as Kayla's sharp fingernails dug into her soft arm.

"C-coffee!" Koffing cried, charging the sociopath in a desperate plea to save her trainer.

Kayla rolled her eyes and launched a nasty kick at the exhausted Pokemon, knocking the poor thing to the ground.

"Koffing, no!" Roxie screamed.

Sunny whimpered pathetically, her own courage disappearing. She began to crawl weakly away, only for Kayla's boot to mash down on her, holding her in place. "Not so fast!" the psychopath cackled. "Everyone gets a turn!"

Roxie gritted her teeth as she struggled to pull away from the much taller woman. "L-let go!" she half-snapped/half-begged.

"Certainly," Kayla said nonchalantly. Before Roxie could get her hopes up, the sociopath had walked to the edge of the cliff and was dangling her over. "Alright," Kayla snickered, "I'm letting you go!"

Roxie's eyes went as wide as saucers as Kayla's hand released her arm, sending her to join Tony at the bottom of the forest, dozens of feet below her. For the first time in a long time, she screamed and cried as she plummeted to her assured doom.

"Eeeek!"

Suddenly, Roxie slammed against… nothing. The rocker came to a sudden and painful halt in midair, as if there was some piece of invisible glass preventing her from falling. Sure, it hurt like the Dickens and nearly broke her nose, but she was alive, even if she didn't know why. "W-wha…?"

Kayla was equally confused. Before she could ask what the heck was good on, Roxie's rescuer answered her question with a Psybeam to the chest. The psychopath was sent pinwheeling across the cliff, slamming into a tree with a grunt of mild annoyance.

A bat-like Pokemon, its body covered in blue and white fur and with black leathery wings, swooped over the cliff, its trainer leaping off to face Kayla. Then, the Pokemon used her Psychic-type abilities to levitate the shell-shocked Roxie away from the abyss, depositing her safely next to the Pokemon's trainer.

She was a beautiful girl, only fifteen yet with a mature body. Her skin was slightly tanned and her eyes were as blue as a summer sky. Her rusty, almost magenta-colored hair was kept in a neat ponytail with a light blue propeller-shaped bow. She was clad in a blue t-shirt and shorts, with a pair of dark-blue pilot's gloves on her hands and a yellow bandanna wrapped around her neck.

Skyla Furro, former Gym Leader of Mistralton City, Flying-type enthusiast and current best human friend to Tony cracked her knuckles. Without a word, she approached the fallen psychopath.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Skyla's back! What a twist! :D Looks like Tony doesn't need to rush to Nimbasa City anymore. Now the only question is, when do Tony and Skyla start the kissy-kissy stuff? Well, let's see, how long can I drag this out…?**

**Reader Question Time! Since most regions in Pokemon games are based off of real-world regions/countries/states, which region/country/state do you want to be the inspiration behind the next great Pokemon region? Canada? England? Florida? Ireland? Maybe another part of Japan? Answer after you review!**

**That's all for today! Please review! The next chapter is coming soon!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	28. The Return of Skyla!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony was caught by surprise by escaped psychopath Kayla Reeds, who hurled him off of a cliff to his apparent doom! However, while it seemed that Tony had perished, he had actually been saved by a mysterious flying creature. Meanwhile, Roxie, enraged by Tony's apparent death, attacked Kayla relentless, which only resulted in her Koffing becoming exhausted and Kayla managing to get a hold of Roxie. Just as Kayla tossed Roxie after Tony, a winged Pokemon saved her as well, and the trainer of the Pokemon was revealed to be none other than Skyla herself!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

"…F-freeeh…!"

"Mmm… Rrgh…"

"Freeh!"

"Wanna."

Something nudged Tony's arm, and then his head. The blonde's icy eyes slowly flickered open. He found himself face first in the grass and earth of the forest floor, with a rather pointy pinecone digging rather painfully into his rib. However, he was alive, and that's all he could ask for right now.

"Freeh?"

Tony groaned as he pushed himself off of the ground, wiping dirt and mud from his face and hair. His clothes were completely covered in muck and twigs. His beanie was gone, though he didn't care enough at this point to try and find it. His back hurt like mess and his legs felt like jelly. On the bright side, he was alive.

It was times like this where you really have to count your blessings.

Tony nearly fell over as he rose off the ground, Lucky catching the back of his shirt and preventing him from face-planting back into the dirt. The bug-catcher shook his head, his vision still foggy. "L-Lucky… W-what…?" he stuttered. "What happened?"

His head ached as horrible memories returned to haunt him. Trying to rescue that woman, having her pull him off the cliff, falling into that horrible abyss, and… getting saved by someone. But who had saved him?

"Wanna?"

Tony's vision finally cleared enough to see that the weird blue and white blur in front of him was not just a figment of his imagination. Indeed, it was a majestic Bird Pokemon, covered in soft white and blue feathers, with an elegantly curved neck. Its bill was a dark orange in color and its face was black, in contrast to its white plumage. "Wanna!" the Pokemon cried happily, pleased to see that Tony was okay.

"A Swanna…?" Tony pulled out his Pokedex and switched it on.

**"Swanna.**

**Classification: The Swan Pokemon**

**Type: Water/Flying**

**This specimen's gender: Female**

**Description: Considered the epitome of beauty among bird-watchers. Swanna are semi-aquatic Bird Pokemon who feed off of seaweed from lakebeds. They are elegant creatures renowned for their brilliant white plumage and graceful movements, often likened to those of a dancer. These Pokemon regularly migrate to warmer parts of the world during colder seasons.**

**Threat-level: Low, unless provoked. Enjoy bird-watching, but don't use flash photography."**

Well, this was just bizarre. Why would a Swanna go and save him? She didn't seem like a wild Swanna…

Tony scratched his chin. What if the Swanna was a Plasma Pokemon? What if she had brought him here so that her trainer could finish him off? No, that couldn't be it… if she was a Plasma Pokemon, she would have let him fall. He was a trainer after all.

"Wanna," the Swanna said, nudging Tony with her beak.

Well, she seemed tame enough, and she was the one who had saved him, so Tony gently gave the Swan Pokemon a pat on the head. "Thank you," he said gratefully.

"Wanna!" the Swanna replied with a nod. She quickly turned around and gestured to her back. "Wanna!" she honked.

"You want me to get on?" Tony asked.

"Wanna!"

Tony slowly nodded. The Swanna obviously wanted to show him something. "What is it?" he asked.

"Wanna!"

Tony groaned. Right. He couldn't speak Pokemon. "Alright," he said, slowly mounting the Swan Pokemon. "Can you take me back to the cliff I fell from?" he asked.

Swanna nodded. "Wanna!"

"Alright!" Tony said. "Lucky, come on!"

"Freeh!" Lucky agreed.

The two Flying-types, one part Water and the other part Bug, took to the sky, their ivory wings beating the air and lifting them high above the trees and hills of Route 20.

Tony wrapped his arms as gently as he dared around Swanna's neck. His eyes were wide as saucers as the Water/Flying-type carried him through the air. He hadn't realized just how terrifying heights could be, having never flown before. "H-high…" he muttered, trying hard not to look down and wishing that Pokemon like Swanna could have built-in seatbelts.

"Wanna!" Swanna honked, getting her terrified passenger's attention. The cliff he had fallen off was directly ahead. Tony could faintly see people and Pokemon fighting on the ledge.

"Right," Tony said, "right over there! Can you make it?"

Swanna nodded. "Wanna!" she honked, spreading her wings wide and snapping into a dive. The wind rushed by her aerodynamic form in a rush, forcing Tony to cling to the Water/Flying-type tighter than before as she shot towards the battlefield like a comet. Lucky cried unhappily as she was forced into a dive as well, desperate to keep up with the much larger and faster Flying-type.

As they approached the cliff, Tony put his fears aside. The last time, that woman had caught him by surprise. This time he'd be ready for her.

What he wasn't ready for, however, was the sudden realization that another trainer was already fighting the woman. And that trainer was…

"…S-Skyla?!"

* * *

Kayla cracked her neck nonchalantly as she stood up. "Huh," she said to herself. "That happened."

"S-Skyla Furro…?" Roxie stuttered, picking herself off the ground and wiping the blood from her nose.

Skyla nodded as she regarded the younger Gym Leader. "Hey, Roxie," she greeted in a rather casual tone given the situation. "Need a hand?"

Roxie was too tired to lie. "I'd appreciate it, yeah." While she and Skyla had never known one another personally, they did know about each other. Skyla was the banished Gym Leader from Mistralton City, shunned by the superstitious townsfolk as a jinx. Roxie was equally infamous as an up-and-coming Gym Leader with a nasty temper and a penchant for rock music. The two hadn't ever met, and they didn't exactly like one another based on their reputations, but in this situation they clearly had a common foe.

Skyla turned her attention to Kayla. "Hey!" she shouted. "You're with Team Plasma, aren't you?"

Kayla nodded with a chuckle. "Technically yes," she said. She _did _work for them, even if she didn't follow any of their beliefs, so it was true enough.

"Well, that's just perfect," Skyla replied, a confident grin slowly spreading across her face. "You see, I've been training to take on bozos like you for a long while now, and I finally get to see if it was worth it."

"S-Skyla!" Roxie shouted. "Be careful! She's crazy!"

"I figured as much," Skyla said drily. "All Plasmas are."

"V-vrr…?" a familiar voice chirped.

Skyla and Swoobat looked to the ground to see a pitiful-looking Larvesta, looking up at them with eyes full of familiarity and sorrow. Skyla recognized the Larvesta in an instant. "Sunny…" she said, glad to see a familiar face in the tiny Bug/Fire-type. Suddenly, a horrible sense of dread began to slowly trickle into her gut. "Sunny, where's Tony?" she asked.

Sunny whimpered miserably and bowed her head.

_No…_ Skyla's eyes went wide. She looked to Roxie, who merely offered her an apologetic look. Then, she looked to Kayla, fury joining her concern. "Where's Tony?!" she demanded.

"Who?" Kayla asked.

A single tear trickled down Skyla's cheek, but she hardly noticed it. "Tony! The blonde boy who owned this Larvesta! Where is he?!"

"Oh… him…" Kayla smirked as she saw the rage and anguish that was slowly covering Skyla's face. "Why don't you ask your friend?" she asked mockingly.

Skyla turned back to the wounded Roxie. "Roxie… what happened?" she asked.

"H-he… He went over the edge…" the rocker said. "She tossed him over!" she screamed, pointing an accusatory finger to Kayla.

"She WHAT?!" Skyla cried.

"Sorry," Kayla replied, "it had to be done. He was a Pokemon Trainer, after all. Plasma mandate and all that."

Skyla didn't hear the excuse, or the remorseless, clearly mocking tone in Kayla's voice. Everything seemed to freeze around her, her very blood chilled and frozen in her veins.

Tony was… dead. Or horrible maimed. Most likely dead, though. He was gone – she would never see him ever again.

She had flown all the way from Nimbasa City to see him. She wanted to show him how much she had improved since the last time they had met. She wanted to travel with him again, see Unova with him by her side, watch him as he grew more and more powerful, eat lunch with him, explore with him, and meet new people with him… But now… now she couldn't do any of that. Tony was dead…

Oh, sweet heavens, Tony was _dead!_

"_You!"_ If Skyla had screamed any louder, you could have heard from outer space. "You killed him!" Her frozen blood was boiling now, and her body was shaking with rage, on the verge of exploding. Warm tears poured down her cheeks, practically steaming as they dripped to the ground.

"So what if I did?" Kayla taunted. "What are you going to do about it?!"

"Swoobat, Psybeam!"

Kayla just managed to duck underneath the glowing ray of psychokinetic energy. The blast sailed off into the forest and exploded, bringing down a few oak trees in the blast. "Oh, so that's what she's going to do about it…" the lunatic murmured to herself.

"Psybeam again!" Skyla screamed. Swoobat complied, blasting a ray of energy from her eyes, aiming directly for Kayla's white face.

Kayla gritted her teeth as she leaped to the side, just barely dodging the beam. "Alright, fine," she muttered, pulling out a Pokeball of her own. "I don't usually like to let my Pokemon have my fun, but since you're so insistent…" She popped open the capsule and released her own monster. "Bisharp, dissect 'em!"

In a bright flash, Kayla's Pokemon emerged. He was a tall, humanoid creature, iron clad with reddish armor and with sharp axe-like blade protruding from his ribs, arms, and helmed head. "Sharp!" he grunted, rubbing his blades together with a glare.

Skyla gritted her teeth. Wonderful, just wonderful! A Dark-type like Bisharp resisted Psychic-type attacks. She'd have to switch her strategy.

"Let's start with the obvious attack choice," Kayla chuckled. "Bisharp, Slash!"

"Sharp!" Bisharp roared, leaping at Swoobat with bladed arms raised.

"Wanna!"

A huge spout of water shot over Skyla's head and slammed into Bisharp's chest, blasting him back to his trainer, who had to duck to avoid being hit by her own Pokemon. "W-what the…?!" Kayla stuttered angrily. "Who is it now?!"

Skyla turned around, her eyes suddenly brimming with hope. Even Roxie gave a wide grin as the Swanna descended back to earth, carrying the still-alive Tony on her back. "Wanna!" she declared proudly.

"Tony!" Skyla shouted happily.

"Skyla!" Tony replied, leaping off of his mount and running towards his friend with arms wide open.

Kayla rolled her eyes. "Look at that," she said to herself, "he kept the tension for, like, five whole minutes."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**That was a fake death that would make the cast of _the Lord of the Rings_ proud, wasn't it?**

**On an unrelated note, I recently learned that Swadloon cannot have Swarm for a special ability, so I've changed Clover's special ability to Leaf Guard. Whoops! Oh well, it's only a typo that's been going on for months now, no problem.**

**Reader Question Time! Would you like to see a fanfiction that showed Tony's complete backstory, from when he first met Aunt Sally to when he first caught Lucky? Answer after you review! :D**

**That's all for today! Do me a solid and drop a review!**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy **


	29. Belated Victory

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**After yet another near-death experience, this time courtesy of a psychopath throwing him off of a cliff, Tony was surprisingly rescued by a mysterious Swanna. The Water/Flying-type carried Tony and Lucky back to the cliff where Tony had fallen at the hands of Kayla Reeds, former Rocket and full-time lunatic, who was battling none-other than Tony's best human friend Skyla! Meanwhile, Skyla, thinking Tony was dead, angrily attacked Reeds with her Swoobat. Before Kayla had much of a chance to counter with her own Pokemon, a Dark/Steel-type called Bisharp, Tony arrived on top of Swanna, putting Skyla's fears to rest and putting down Bisharp! The two friends now run to each other's arms as Kayla and Roxie look on!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Finally, the moment had arrived. A little later and less traditional than Tony had intended it to be, but, hey, no plan is perfect.

After a long month of contacting her only by calls on the xtransceiver, of missing her deeply, of wanting to see the world with her again, Tony was finally reunited with Skyla.

The two were running across the cliff to one another, arms wide open, faces full of happiness, cheeks wet with tears of joy, eyes glowing like stars. They were finally together again!

Then, they finally remembered the situation they were in, where they were, and who was watching them. They also realized that if they hugged like that, they might actually look like… you know… a _couple._

Both Tony and Skyla dug their boots into the rock floor, coming to a dead halt in front of each other. The joyous expressions had been replaced by blushes and awkward stares. "I-it's… uh, you," Tony greeted.

"Hey," Skyla replied with a nod.

"Hey yourself," Tony said.

Roxie slapped her forehead. "Uh, guys…?"

"So, uh, why are you here?" Tony asked Skyla, not paying any attention to the Virbank Gym Leader.

"You didn't call me at all yesterday!" Skyla exclaimed. "I got worried, you know, so I called your Aunt Sally. She spoiled your little surprise."

Tony sighed. "Darn it, Auntie."

"You didn't have to surprise me, you know," Skyla went on, sounding annoyed. "You could have just called and said you were coming. I would have waited for you."

"I know, I know…" Tony admitted. "I just wanted… I don't know, to make you happy. Yeah, that's it."

Skyla rubbed the back of her head. "Well, uh, next time just call me, okay? You can surprise me on my birthday."

"Right. Sorry." Tony smiled suddenly. "Well, it was kind of fun getting here, though…" he admitted. "I got to ride on a train and meet this crazy lady named Shauntal and…"

"Hey!" Roxie interrupted. "Remember me? And her?!" She gestured to where Kayla was; the mercenary was leaning against a tree, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for the awkward little reunion to end.

"Oh, right…" both Tony and Skyla said, nodding in unison. They quickly snapped into their action poses.

"Who do you think you are?!" Tony demanded, clenching his fist. "I could have been killed!"

"That was the idea, yes," Kayla replied, cracking her neck.

"Well, obviously you failed!" Skyla taunted. "Typical Plasma incompetence!"

"Is that so?" Kayla asked. "You seemed pretty convinced with all that crying you were just doing."

Tony looked to Skyla. "You were crying?" he asked in a whisper.

"N-never mind that," Skyla said, blushing. "Game over, whoever you are!" she declared. "You're going down!"

"Yeah!" Roxie agreed, pulling our Whirlipede's Pokeball. "Smack-down time!"

Kayla gave a long, long sigh. See, this is why she preferred corpses; they didn't talk and make ridiculous heroic speeches. "Do you kids…" she hissed, "even know who I am?"

"No? Should we?" Tony asked, reaching for Lancelot's Pokeball.

Kayla smirked. "I'm Kayla Reeds," she said simply.

The courageous, determined faces vanished in an instant. Our heroes froze up completely, hilarious expressions of awkward mortification plastered to their faces as they realized just how dangerous the situation really was.

This woman… was Kayla Reeds. Oh. Wonderful. _That_ would have been nice to know.

They all knew exactly who and what Kayla Reeds was. She was a disturbed woman with a long history of violence and cruelty, who's illustrious career had led her across many regions and on many manic sprees of unrestrained chaos and cruelty. They all knew that she had been caught and thrown away for life in some horrible prison off the coast – and they also knew that she had escaped.

None of them ever had seen a picture of her, nor did any of them ever know what she looked like. They never had suspected that this ghostly woman was her – _the_ Kayla Reeds.

Kayla chuckled at the shocked silence. "Surprised, aren't you?" she asked maliciously.

Tony stuttered incomprehensibly. "I… You're… You…" He gritted his teeth and shook his head, regaining his senses. "That doesn't make any sense! N would never…" He paused and then coughed. "I mean, the Plasma King…" he began again.

Kayla interrupted him. "You know that brat's real name?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"W-well, he's not exactly unknown…" Tony argued feebly.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Kayla scolded, shaking her finger as if she was Tony's kindergarten teacher. "Nobody just calls him N. They always call him Harmonia, or the Plasma King." Kayla liked to watch the news at night; so much human misery all on one channel! "Nobody calls the brat N unless they know him personally… And I can't help but notice…" she added, her grin disappearing, "that you have a Butterfree… Hmm… You wouldn't happen to be one Antonio Miles Miller/Maruko, would ya?"

Tony winced, suddenly becoming very sweaty. Dang it all… "Uh…"

"So what if he is!?" Skyla snapped, putting herself in-between Tony and Kayla.

"Freeh!" Lucky agreed.

"Well, His Royal Whininess told me…" Kayla's eyes gleamed. "That if I should see you…"

Tony swallowed and reached for Lancelot's Pokeball.

"That I should leave you alone."

The three teens nearly fell over. "E-eh!?"

Kayla scowled. "Pity…" she muttered. "Sorry, kiddies. I'm gonna have to take a rain-check for this little showdown. Tah!" And with that, Kayla spun around on her heel and shot off into the forest, vanishing into the shadows before the kids could take chase.

"W-what the heck was that about?" Roxie asked, unsure of whether or not she should be happy that Kayla was fleeing.

Tony kept his mouth shut.

"Seriously." Roxie put her hand on Tony's shoulder and whirled the dumbfounded boy around to face her. "What was that about?! How does the Plasma King know you?"

"It's…" Tony stuttered, unsure of what to say.

Skyla broke in. "It's a long story," she told Roxie. "Too long to tell right now."

The distant sound of helicopter rotors finally caught their attention. A police helicopter swiftly passed overhead, a searchlight shining down upon the teens and their Pokemon.

Roxie pouted and spat in the dirt. "Oh. So now they arrive."

Tony sighed as the chopper slowly descended towards them. More choppers joined the first in the sky, their searchlights beaming down upon the dark forest. Evidently, they had figured out just who had been leading the Plasmas.

"Let's just go back to Virbank…"

* * *

It was almost midnight by the time they finally got to the Pokemon Center. It was only ten when they got back to town, but it took two hours before the local Officer Jenny was done ranting to them about how dangerous chasing after the Plasmas had been. The lecture would have gone on for much longer had Roxie not repeatedly picked fights with the officer, pointing out how it was the duty of a Gym Leader to always step up and defend his or her city, and that if Officer Jenny had wanted to arrest Reeds, she should have gone out with her "prissy little helicopters" earlier.

It took hours for the carnage to end. When it finally did Roxie bid Tony and Skyla a belated farewell and went home with her father and bandmates. Brycen disappeared the moment he heard that Tony and Roxie were safe, stating that he had "business" to attend to. Everyone was too tired to ask what it was about.

After that, Tony and Skyla walked slowly to the Pokemon Center, recounting their experiences from the past day, namely what had happened on the botched ride on the Nimbasa Express. Skyla laughed at Shauntal's ditzy nature, giggled when she heard of Tony missing his train that morning, and gaped when she heard that Mystico and Numera were still alive. Needless to say, they talked for a good long while, and by the time they finally realized how tired they were it was extremely late into the night, and Tony hadn't made his promised call to Aunt Sally yet.

Skyla gave an exhausted but happy sigh as she collapsed onto her plush mattress, her undone hair still glistening from the shower she had just taken. "Finally…" she yawned loudly, snuggling her head against her pillow. "Nap time…"

Tony nodded happily, sharing in his friend's optimism. After a long, hard day of beating a Gym Leader, being a movie star, chasing after criminals, and nearly getting killed by a psychopath, it was nice to sit down, lay back, and try to ignore the fact that he had completely left the majority of what had happened today when he had called Aunt Sally.

It doesn't count as a lie if you don't actually say anything about it, right?

Fortunately for Tony, he was too tired to feel bad about his little half-truth to his Auntie, and too happy to be sharing one of the Pokemon Center's free rooms with his friend again. Tomorrow morning, they could head back to Nimbasa City together, and it would be just like old times again, only without worrying about Team Plasma… er, without worrying about the Plasma Knights… Scratch that, it would be almost exactly like old times.

Tony slowly turned to look at Skyla. The two were alone in their room, their Pokemon resting up in the center's healing machine.

You know… a little voice in the back of Tony's mind whispered, she kind of looks cute with her hair down like that.

Tony turned bright red and looked away, a strange feeling slowly settling in his gut.

Skyla noticed. "What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up and looking at her friend curiously.

"I-it's nothing," Tony lied.

"Uh-huh." Skyla folded her arms. "Right," she said, unconvinced.

"Really!" Tony insisted.

"It's about what that freak said, isn't it?" Skyla pried. "About N."

Tony groaned; he had almost forgotten about that. "Oh, yeah…" he muttered, shaking his head. "N… I can't… I can't believe what she said… that she was working for N, you know? I mean, N was…"

"Insane?" Skyla offered. "Disturbed? Insane and disturbed?" Needless to say, she didn't think much of him.

"…Yeah, but…" Tony shook his head, unsure as to why he was going on like this. This was just stupid. N may have seemed like an innocent and kind-hearted boy, but his betrayal of Tony and his invasion of Nimbasa City clearly proved otherwise. "You know what?" he decided. "You're right. I guess I shouldn't really be all that…" He turned to Skyla, only to see that her eyes were sealed shut and that she had her blanket wrapped around her body like a cocoon. A loud snore confirmed the bug-catcher's suspicions.

"…Surprised…" Tony finished. A tired smile slowly crossed his face and he wrapped up in his own blanket, switching off the lamp. His troubles could wait until morning.

Just like old times. Just like old times.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Once again, I apologize that this chapter is late. I have a ton of French homework and my internet died all of the sudden. Sorry. **

**Oh, and for any of your Sommelier-Shippers out there, the story _the Café Competition _has a lot of promise! I recommend giving it a read! **

**Reader Question Time! A Pokemon Conquest fan-fiction starring Tony… Would that be awesome or not so awesome? Give me your honest opinion and answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	30. EmployerEmployee Hostilities

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and Skyla had a heartfelt and completely awkward reunion, which was enough to make them forget that they were facing down a crazy psychopath. Said psychopath was quick to remind them of her presence, as well as informing them she was none other than the Kayla Reeds, infamous criminal-for-hire. To make matters worse, Kayla was able to easily deduce who Tony was, and revealed that King N had forbidden any Plasmas from harming the bug-catcher. Deciding that she had had enough fun for that day, Kayla beat a hasty retreat. Afterwards, Tony and Skyla returned to the Pokemon Center, where Tony filled his friend on about what had happened on his journey there, including Shauntal, Mystico, Numera, and missing his train that morning. The two friends fell asleep with one another, Tony awkwardly realizing that Skyla was sort of cute…**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

The Pokemon League and Team Plasma. Yin and Yang, two sides of the coin of the world. One absolute good and one absolute evil – in the eyes of the Plasmas, anyway.

The Way of Plasma, to Team Plasma, was the way of the future, the way to _world peace_. It was freedom for humanity and Pokemon alike; humans would be free to grow strong through their own power, their own skills, and Pokemon would be free to live in nature, as they were intended. Once humans and Pokemon were put in their proper places, so they believed, harmony would be achieved.

Sadly, human beings were foolish beings, _selfish_ beings… Most of them were handicapped, foolish convinced that they couldn't live their lives without their Pokemon _slaves_ to do their bidding. It was a horrifying revelation to most of the converts to the Plasma cause – that the world as they knew it, the society that their parents had raised them in – was a horrible, cruel place, where the rights of innocent creatures were obstructed in favor of profit.

It was disgusting. What sort of moral world would allow innocents to suffer for mere pieces of paper that were assigned monetary value by some _human_ government? How could anyone with such knowledge go on with their lives as they had before – how could anyone go to grocery market and buy Chansey eggs, eggs stolen from a Pokemon slave? How could anyone sleep on a soft, plush pillow, stuffed with the feathers of a shivering Pidgey, raised only to have its warm plumage plucked? How could anyone wear a silk scarf, a scarf made by the silk of a Caterpie, who is kept alive on because it makes silk for humans.

It was thoughts like this – these horrible, disgusting nightmares – that kept N Harmonia awake at night, staring morosely at the ceiling of his bedroom and wondering why the world was such a sinful place. His head and heart ached miserably as the sleepless nights would turn to dreary days of planning and procedure, days that he'd rather spend amongst his friends in his garden.

However, his sacred duty, bestowed upon him by the heavens, as the Plasma King beckoned to him.

N silently scanned the blueprints of Devil's Isle Prison, taking notes on potential weak-points and flaws for his latest plot: the upcoming Operation: Zebstrika.

One month ago, Ghetsis Harmonia, N's father, had been unjustly arrested during their crusade against Nimbasa City and was currently being held on Devil's Isle, where the thralls of the Pokemon League could likely be torturing him at the very moment for information. Torturing Ghetsis, one of the kindest, bravest men that N had the honor of knowing.

The young man would be moved to tears if he had any left to shed. His own father, imprisoned by the enemy – and by his own free will. N had tried to save him, even breaking into Devil's Isle in his attempt, but Ghetsis had refused to leave. The Arch-Sage claimed that the Pokemon League and media foolishly believed that he was the true ruler of Team Plasma, and that N was simply a puppet ruler. A ridiculous and shortsighted belief to be sure, but it was one that Ghetsis wanted to take advantage of. He chose to stay in prison, where he would be poked and prodded for information, while his son, the chosen one, would prepare for Team Plasma's ultimate goal.

And so it was that Ghetsis had become one of the many Team Plasma martyrs – imprisoned for his beliefs and actions by an unjust and tyrannical government.

N's heart bled for his father's wellbeing, but he did as instructed and took it with a stoic expression. He was the Plasma King; hardships such as this were to be expected for any crusader of a just cause. It was his solemn duty to both his followers and his father to continue on without them, ignoring his own sorrows and striving for ultimate victory.

The door to his shadowy chambers opened and then slammed shut without any reverence or introductions. N's monotone face curved into a barely noticeable scowl. "Reeds," he greeted.

Kayla glided through the darkness, her white face all that was visible. "Your Worshipfulness," she replied with audible snark.

N rubbed his weary eyes. While most of his followers were convinced that he was perfection, there were many times where he felt as though he had made a horrible mistake. Hiring Reeds had been one of them. She had no respect, no reverence for anyone, even for her new King. The fact that she was emotionally disturbed and sadistic didn't help matters either.

So why had N hired her? For penance. As it turns out, Ghetsis' cell on Devil's Isle had been positioned directly across from Reeds, and N had accidentally freed her from the prison when he attempted to save his father. After hearing of the news, and that Reeds could potentially do a good deal of harm to both humans and Pokemon, N sought to terminate her – for the benefit of everyone. However, Reeds had made an offer of service.

N hadn't wanted to hire her… but apparently she had an excellent record, and he knew that her freedom was a thorn in the sides of Officer Jennies worldwide, which would provide an ample distraction when the time finally came to free Ghetsis. So, he begrudgingly took her under his wing and regretted it ever since.

N got straight to the point. "Was the operation successful?"

"Define successful."

N scowled. "Did you steal the Pokemon from those abysmal studios?" he elaborated.

"Ah. Operation successful."

N gave a sigh of relief. "Good. Where are they?"

"Back at the studios."

"…You said you stole them."

"We did. They got stolen back. Oh, and those two goons of yours… What were the names? Eh, who cares? Yeah, they got captured."

There was a brief and tense silence. N stared silently at Kayla who stared silently back. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Finally, N gave a loud, angry sigh. He grabbed the edge of his planning table and furiously flipped it over. Wood cracked as it smashed into the floor, pens and paper scattering everywhere.

"Now, was that really necessary?" Kayla asked. "That was a nice table."

"Be quiet," N ordered bitterly, slumping into his chair. "This was a basic operation. Most Plasmas could have gotten it done with ease."

"I'm not most Plasmas," Kayla replied calmly.

"Obviously not," N stated, rubbing his searing forehead. It was times like this when he really began to miss the Plasma Knights, even if only one of them had truly been devoted to their cause… and N had used him…

N shook of the guilt; Mystico had known the risks. He had been happy to give his life for a Pokemon's… He had! Really.

"Are you alright?" Kayla asked, feigning concern. "You look ill…"

"I'm fine," N lied; it was hard to be fine when you hadn't slept in four days. "Just get out," he ordered.

"But don't you want to hear about who I happened to run into on the mission?" Kayla asked.

N groaned. "You can tell me in the morning," he said.

"I have a feeling you'll want to know now," Kayla replied. "It was your little friend."

N looked up, surprised. "Tony?" he asked.

Kayla nodded with a smirk. "Yeah, Tony."

N stood up, his surprise turning to angry concern. "What did you do to him!?" he demanded.

"He's alive and relatively unharmed," Kayla replied, leaving out the bit where she tossed him off of that cliff. "He's still protecting the Pokemon League. He was even fighting alongside the new Virbank City Gym Leader, and when we were battling his little friend… the Furro tramp or whatever her name is…"

"Skyla," N whispered bitterly. Kayla was right about one thing; Skyla was a trap. A friend-stealing succubus of the Pokemon League, dragging Tony down into the depths of evil with her siren's song, false promises, and pretty face.

"Yes, her," Kayla continued. "Being the good little Plasma that I am, I remembered your orders not to harm him and left him and his friends alone." She gave a sugary smile. "I think someone owes me a thank you," she hinted.

N stood up. "Thank you for not killing Tony," he said, swallowing his pride.

Kayla shifted in the darkness; N thought she might be folding her arms. "But, seriously, sire," she said, "I think it's time you rewrote your policies regarding this Tony kid. I've seen his type before: the wide-eyed, optimistic underdog with the good friends, and the wishes, and the dreams…" She shuddered. "You may not think he's a threat… but he is. I may not be in charge, but it's best to ensure that any potential threat is thoroughly squashed the moment it shows up."

N shook his head. "No."

"Pardon?"

"Tony was my friend," N replied. "And while we may have different views on right and wrong, and while he may take a Gym Leader as his consort, he still shows more respect for Pokemon than I have ever seen in a non-Plasma. I cannot believe that he is completely lost to the Pokemon League – there is still some good in him. I can feel it."

"Sire…" Kayla hissed. She glided closer to the much smaller boy, wrapping a shadowy arm around his shoulders and drawing him close. N just managed not to shiver. "Take my word for it," she whispered into his ear. "He's a threat. Deal with him now before he actually realizes that."

"Let go of me," N ordered, shaking a little.

"You're the King," Kayla purred. "Take him out."

"Let go of me!" N shook Kayla's arm off harshly. "Get out."

"What's the matter?" Kayla chuckled, clearly enjoying the boy's terror. "You don't like girls? Has Ghetsis not gone over 'the Birds and the Beedrill' with you?"

"Get out!" N shouted.

Kayla smirked. "Fine," she said, "I'll leave. Just remember what I said, kiddo. You're gonna have to choose eventually: Team Plasma or your little friend." She stepped back, and the shadows seemed to swallow her up instantly. The door opened and shut once more, and N was once again alone.

N shivered, breathing heavily. No one had ever touched him like that when Ghetsis was around. No one like Kayla had ever touched him like that before… He felt sick; disgusted. Worse still, he felt like a child; all he wanted was Ghetsis to be back. Ghetsis would have killed Reeds the moment she laid a finger on N. Ghetsis would have agreed with him about Tony.

N clenched his suddenly flip-flopping stomach. He slowly walked to his bedroom, hanging his head like a beaten Lillipup.

He wouldn't be getting any sleep that night either.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**N: "I need an adult!"**

**Kayla: "I am an adult."**

**Seriously, though, what the heck!?**

**Reader Question Time! Which Pokemon League do you think is the best out of all of them, from G1 to G5? Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Whirlipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	31. Off to Castelia!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Kayla Reeds reported back to her master, King N, the Leader of Team Plasma, and informed him of her failure to recover the Pokemon from Poke-Star Studios as well as her encounter with Tony. Though N was adamant in his resolve not to hurt Tony, believing that there was "still some good in him," Kayla was significantly less enthusiastic about the Plasma King's mercy, having encountered "heroes" like Tony in the past and believing that killing them early was for the best. The conversation quickly entered bad-touch territory and N harshly ordered Kayla to leave, before retreating to his bedroom.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

It was a warm, bright day in Virbank City. Yesterday's crisis was all but forgotten as the locals returned to their everyday schedules, including one Pop Roxie.

The dark-haired man had changed from his ridiculous Riolu-Man costume to his navy-blue skipper's uniform, complete with snazzy hat. In all honesty, he made a better skipper than a superhero, if only because the uniform suited him so.

The good captain politely loaded Tony and Skyla's bags aboard his ship, _the_ _S.S. Roxie_. It was a fine vessel for any maritime event, sleek, polished, fast, and with an admittedly adorable little statue at the front of the boat, depicting a chibized mermaid incarnation of Roxie holding her trademark guitar with one arm and raising her other arm in the air, her hand's index finger and pinkie extended in the air, as if calling for the ocean to cheer her on. It was so cute that Tony and Skyla would have swooned if not for the fact they were certain Roxie would bean them for it.

Speaking of Roxie, said Gym Leader and her bandmates had arrived to bid Tony and Skyla a more-or-less fond farewell. Tony was a little hesitant to admit it, but he honestly would miss Roxie. As obnoxious as she could be, she really wasn't a bad girl.

"Well," Roxie commented, "I guess you're all set. Still headin' to Nimbasa City?"

Tony nodded. "Yup. That's the plan. I still need to beat Elesa for my next Gym Badge, after all. Besides, there's a friend I'd like to visit."

Roxie shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't take too long, alright? No stupid detours, because dad needs to get back in time for his acting lesson."

"Eh?" Tony asked, cocking his head to the side. "B-but I thought that you didn't want him to act."

Roxie snorted. "Please!" she scoffed. "As if my dad would ever forget a gal like _me_. He can do his silly acting thing if he wants to. I don't care."

"But chief, didn't you sign up to play Princess…" Billy Jo began.

Roxie swiftly brought her foot down on her bandmate's foot, shutting her up instantly. "A-anyways," she continued, blushing. "Y-you just keep moving on. And you'd better win the Unova League, too!" she threatened. "Otherwise I'm gonna be twice as ticked off for losing to you!"

Tony nodded rapidly, holding up his hands defensively. "Okay, okay!" he promised.

"Good." Roxie nodded. "Well, seeya around maybe."

"Thank you," Tony said. "I hope we can have a rematch one day. And you two," he added to Billy Jo and Nicky. "Uh… keep on… rocking?" he offered.

Billy Jo nodded. "For sure."

"You've got it," Nicky agreed. "Next time you show up, Billy n' me will take you on, too! Gotta get back at ya for the chief, you know."

Tony chuckled. "Sure, why not?"

Roxie then turned her attention to Skyla. "Well…" she said, not really sure as to what to say to the unfamiliar Gym Leader. "Keep Blondie here in check, alright? And good luck with that whole 'banishment' thing."

"I will, and thanks," Skyla replied. "Maybe next time we can have a match, too," she added. "After you've improved that is."

Tony, Nicky, and Billy Jo all cried out, "NO!" in unison, but it was too late.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?!" Roxie screamed, her composure vanishing in an instant. "You saying I'm not good enough to beat you!? Huh?! Huh?!"

"Well..."

Mercifully, Pop Roxie chose this moment to announce, "All aboard who's going aboard!"

"Oh, look at that, time to go, bye!" Tony declared, grabbing Skyla by the arm and swiftly escorting her up the gangplank.

"Come back here!" Roxie shrieked. "I'm not finished with you!"

"Honeybun, don't wear out your voice!" Pop Roxie shouted down to his daughter. "Remember, we're auditioning for that princess movie today!"

"What princess movie?" Tony asked.

Skyla snickered, covering her mouth.

"Dad!" Roxie whined. "Don't tell them that!"

"I'll be back soon," Pop promised, ignoring his daughter's pouting, "so be sure to try on the dress while I'm gone! It's the pink one with the big bow."

"DAD!"

Pop laughed. "Just kidding! It's the purple and green one. I'm sure you'll look adorable!" he called, pulling up the gangplank. "See you when I get back! Love ya!"

Roxie groaned, covering her bright red face with her hands. "Love you too, dad…" she admitted.

Pop Roxie quickly powered up his vessel, the engine roaring loudly over the din of the waves. There was a burst of power to the propellers and the vessel shot off across the sea, Tony, Skyla, and their Pokemon along for the ride.

Tony and Skyla sat in absolute silence until they were certain Roxie couldn't hear them. Only then did they finally start laughing uproariously.

* * *

Roxie scowled. "Idiot," she muttered, "he didn't have to announce it to the whole freaking world…" She spat over the pier's edge and into the water. "And who the heck does that broad think she is?!"

"So, uh," Nicky began nervously, "you're playing a princess, right?"

Roxie sighed loudly. "Yes, Nicky." She gave a quick glare at Billy Jo. "Thanks for keeping my secret, Billy. I knew I could trust you."

Billy Joe shuddered, her numerous piercings clanking as she did so.

"Dad asked me if I wanted to do a movie with him – a father/daughter thing. It sounded kind of fun… so I said yes, on the condition that I get to pick the movie."

"You picked a movie where you have to be a princess?!" both of her bandmates exclaimed. While Roxie had confided to Billy Jo about the whole princess thing, Billy Jo being the only female human friend she had, she hadn't admitted that it had been her choice.

"Yeah, I did," Roxie replied. "Surprised?"

"I, uh, didn't see you as a sentimental sort, chief," Nicky admitted.

"Yeah," Billy Jo agreed. "Isn't being a princess, you know… kind of a thing for little brats?"

Roxie pulled a crumpled piece of paper out from her pocket and handed it to her bandmates. "This is the script," she said with a grin.

Both rockers read the title aloud: "'Angelina Chainsaw, Vampire Princess'?!"

Roxie grinned. "By the way, I get my arm cut off in the film and replace it with a chainsaw. I mean, if I have to wear a dress, I might as well cover it with the fake blood of the innocent, right?"

Nicky and Billy Jo nodded once. "Groovy."

Roxie grinned. "You know what? Dad's pretty cool sometimes. Hey… 'Angelina Chainsaw versus Riolu Kid…' Maybe we should call dad and tell him to bring Tony back…"

* * *

The waters of the Western Unova River lapped against _the Roxie_ as she sped across, leaving foaming water in her wake. Bird Pokemon swooped alongside the boat, cawing as they struggled to keep up with the marvel of machinery.

Despite the rapid pace of the ride, it was relatively comfortable for the passengers. Tony and Skyla sat below the deck in the galley, seated around a shining oak table as they awaited their arrival at Castelia City. From there, they would travel across the desert-covered Route 4, pass through humble Old Nimbasa Town, and then finally reach Nimbasa City itself, entertainment capital of Unova and where Tony's next daunting Gym Battle lied in wait. His opponent: the dazzling beauty and Mistress of the Electric-type herself, Elesa.

While this trip was clearly a cause for celebration and anticipation, Tony remained silent and brooding. He didn't look distressed per say, but he certainly wasn't his usual enthusiastic self that Skyla was used to when her friend was preparing for a Gym Battle.

"Hey," she asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

Tony blinked, as if he had just been awoken from a dream. He shook his head and said, "Nothing."

Skyla snorted. "We had this conversation last night, didn't we?" she asked.

Tony sighed. There really wasn't any point in hiding it from Skyla. "I'm a little worried," he admitted, "about Team Plasma, and N."

"Worried about what?" Skyla asked.

"What if… What if they try to hurt Aunt Sally, or Uncle Brad, or Pappy? They've already hurt mom a lot… but what if they come for her, too." He looked out the window, watching as the water rushed past them. "What if N targets my family and friends because of what I'm doing? I mean, if he's willing to hire someone like Kayla Reeds…"

"Hey," Skyla said soothingly, "you're forgetting that Team Plasma just got trounced at Nimbasa City. Hundreds of members got caught and jailed, remember? The police are rounding up more suspects every day! They're gonna catch N and Reeds, just you wait. They'll probably catch Mystico and Numera, too, so we won't have to worry about them either." She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "No more Team Plasma," she said for emphasis.

"What about yesterday, then?" Tony asked. "Those guys looked like Plasmas to me."

"They were stragglers making one last-ditch attempt to get some good Pokemon and start up their cult again," Skyla answered logically. "I heard all about that little heist. They just ran in and ran out without a plan. They're getting desperate."

Tony slowly nodded. "That does make sense…" he admitted. "You're right," he decided finally, "I'm probably just worrying about nothing. The police will wrap it all up sooner or later."

Skyla grinned. "Exactly! So, just sit back and relax. Let's enjoy the trip!"

The two friends did so and the trip went by without a single hitch; no Plasmas, no ex-Plasmas, no lunatics, nothing. Just sea breeze and good friends.

Team Plasma was broken, cornered. As far as they were concerned it was no longer a threat. However, they both made the mistake of forgetting that the cornered beast is the one that is most dangerous…

* * *

By early noon, _the S.S. Roxie_ finally docked at Castelia City's pier. Tony was greeted by the familiar sight of massive towers of steel, stone, and glass, rising out from the earth and touching the sky itself. There were hundreds of these skyscrapers, covering almost every inch of Castelia.

"Geez." Tony whistled. "It's been forever since we've been here."

"I know," Skyla agreed.

The two friends, along with Lucky, walked down the gangplank and down to the ground, their backpacks slung over their shoulders.

"Thanks for the ride, Mr. Roxie!" Tony called to Pop Roxie as they went ashore.

"Don't mention it!" Pop replied. "You did help me and my daughter after all! We hope you enjoyed your ride on _the S.S. Roxie! _Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back and begin practice for my role." He giggled a little bit as he returned to the wheel.

"Thanks again!" Tony and Skyla called as _the Roxie's_ engine revved up once more, and before long the boat was a tiny speck of white in the distance, growing every smaller against the horizon.

"So, where to now?" Skyla asked.

"First things first," Tony said. "It's lunchtime right now, so let's find someplace to eat."

Skyla's eyes brightened. "How about the park?" she asked. We can have a picnic."

"Sounds good," Tony agreed, having a fondness for picnics himself.

"And…" Skyla smirked. "When we're done, you and I can have a Pokemon Battle!"

"Eh?" Tony asked, surprised.

"Yeah!" Skyla declared. "After all, the last match we had was months ago. You won that time, but I've been training hard during our journey and while you were at home with your family! So how about it? Want to see what I've learned?" she dared.

Tony returned the grin, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Flying-type Pokemon have an advantage over Bug-types. "You're on!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**It just occurred to me that I went through all of Virbank City without making a single joke about Billy Jo's name. Dang.**

**Judging by Roxie's upcoming film, Roger Corman had infiltrated the Pokemon Universe. **

**Reader Question Time! If Tony was to return to Poke-Star Studios in the future, which movie would you like to see him star in? While I am well aware that not all of you like Poke-Star, I think we all might like to see Tony star in future films, especially that whole Chainsaw Vampire Princess thing. Whether it be a movie from the actual game or one you made up, be sure to answer after you review!**

**That's all for today! Thanks for reading!**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy **


	32. Tony vs Skyla! A long-awaited Rematch!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and Skyla bid farewell to Roxie and her crew and finally departed Virbank City via ship. They quickly arrived in Castelia City, their first stop on their way to Nimbasa City, where Skyla challenged Tony to a Pokemon Battle, so both friends could see how one another's training paid off!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Even a city as big and artificial as Castelia had a few patches of green in it. Namely, Castelia Central Park, a three mile stretch of refreshing greenery and cleaner air, where busy tycoons and CEOs could relax after a hard day of paperwork and meetings.

Or, in the case of one Anna Maruko, a hard day of listening to whiny brats demand hot fudge on their Castelia-cones.

Anna groaned miserably as she slumped into the park bench, her head already pounding after a mere four hours of shilling ice cream to annoying children. Oh, and the best part? After her half-hour break, she was back on for another four hour shift_. Fan_-freaking-tastic.

If Anna hadn't quit smoking years ago, she'd have lit one up right about now. Heaven knows she could use one. That and a drink. And her old job back would be nice, too. Well, yeah, that job had separated her from her son and almost had ruined her entire life, but still…

Anna groaned again. Okay, okay, so she felt better morally about herself. That was nice. It wasn't enough to make her forget that she was living in a one bedroom apartment and eating food from vending machines for dinner, though. That was the problem.

_Just forget about it_, said the good little Angel Anna on her shoulder. _You have your son's love, don't you?_

_What good is that? _asked the evil little Devil Anna (who had been the guiding voice in Anna's head up until a few months ago). _You're poor now. Your son's love isn't going to pay your bills or put good food in your stomach. Your son's love isn't going…_

"Oh, shut up!" Anna snapped to her conscience.

_Just sayin'_, Devil Anna retorted.

_Follow your heart!_ Angel Anna advised before the two disappeared.

Anna buried her face in her hands. "That couldn't possibly have been more clichéd and stupid," she muttered.

"You ready? I'm not holding back this time!"

"You worry about yourself. We'll be fine!"

"Freeh!"

Anna's ears pricked. _Tony?_ The blonde stood up and turned around. On top of a nearby hill, she could see the familiar face of her only child Tony, facing down with some… girl… Anna thought that she might have seen her before. Maybe when she was Lady Frost, but her memories from those horrible days were pretty foggy, and those that she could remember clearly were responsible for the horrible insomnia she had been suffering through nowadays.

Regardless of however the girl was, Tony was here – in Castelia City. Was he here to visit her? Anna turned pale, a slow, horrible feeling filling her heart, a feeling that she had recently become quite familiar with: uselessness.

She had lost everything that she had horded throughout her life, the wealth, the property, everything that she thought made her special, made her _somebody_. Now, she was working at an ice cream shack for minimum wage, living in a tiny apartment that didn't even have a television. And there was her son fighting Pokemon Battles, travelling the world… Oh, the joys of youth.

Not only was he a Pokemon Trainer, but Tony had competed in an actual tournament – on national television. He had already won Gym Battles, from what Anna had gathered. He was going places.

Inferiority was one thing, but feeling inferior to your own son… It hurt. A lot.

Anna looked down at herself; her horrible, plain white, chocolate-stained uniform. She couldn't face her son like _this!_

Ignoring how stupid she must have looked, Anna stooped down into the bushes behind the park bench, silently observing Tony and his friend as they battled.

* * *

Skyla cracked her gloved knuckles before tossing her yellow scarf over her shoulder. "Okay," she said confidently, "how does two-on-two sound?"

"Sounds fine to me," Tony replied with a nod. "Who're you gonna use first?" he asked.

"Why should I tell you?" Skyla laughed. "Then you'll have the advantage!"

"You already have the advantage," Tony replied. "Flying-type specialist, remember?" he reminded her.

"Good point," Skyla muttered. "Okay, then, first things first… I'm gonna use Swanna!" she declared, pulling out her first Pokeball and tossing it into the air.

In a bright flash, Swanna popped into existence, spreading her majestic white wings and gliding through the air… before unceremoniously crashing down to the ground with a surprised squawk.

Tony blinked. "W-wha…?"

Skyla turned bright red alongside of Swanna, who picked herself off the ground and dusted herself off. "W-well…" Skyla said, rubbing the back of her head, "Swanna may have evolved from Ducklett, but she's still herself, you know…"

Tony nodded; Ducklett had been quite clumsy. Thank goodness she managed to stay airborne when she was carrying him last night…

"Don't let that make you think Swanna's a klutz or anything!" Skyla ordered with a grin. "She's a lot tougher than she looks!"

"Wanna!" Swanna agreed, puffing out her feathered chest with pride.

Tony nodded. "Alright, then," he said, pulling out a Pokeball of his own. "In that case, I'll choose… Strike!"

In a second flash of energy, the large Scolipede appeared on the hilltop. With a loud "Scol!" the Bug/Poison-type reared back, toxic venom dripping from his spines and antennae.

Swanna gave a frightened squawk. "W-wanna?!" She hadn't been expecting to see that.

Skyla, however, was far less concerned and surprised. "I figured one of your Pokemon would have evolved," she said with a smile. "Not bad. With a final stage Pokemon, you might actually stand a chance."

"Look who's talking," Tony retorted. "So, you want the first move?"

"Well, it's only fair," Skyla replied. Then, to Swanna she said, "Swanna, Bubblebeam!"

"Wanna!" Swanna cried, opening her beak and unleashing a frothing ray of bubbles and water.

"Strike, Protect and then use Veno-shock!" Tony countered.

"Scol!" A dark blue shield sprang up around the Megapede Pokemon, blocking the beam of water. Hissing angrily, he spewed a steam of rancid purple poison at his opponent.

"Fly up, Swanna!" Skyla ordered.

The Toxic passed underneath Swanna as she beat her wings and took to the sky, easily dodging the attack. "Now, Air Slash!" Skyla shouted.

"Wanna…!" Swanna cried, raising her right wing like a sword and slicing it through the air. A razor of pressurized air cut towards the Bug/Poison-type.

"Protect and Roll-out!" Tony countered.

It was a sight that almost made all humans present, including Anna, burst out into laughter. The huge arthropod blocked the blade of air and charged forward like some massive war-trained Rapidash, galloping like an insectoid equine. Then, he leaped into the air and curled up into some massive, bouncing exoskeleton, rocketing towards his charging opponent.

"Swanna, dodge!"

The Swan Pokemon swerved to the side, just narrowly avoiding the bouncing insectoid.

"Now, use Wing Attack!"

"Counter it with Poison Tail!"

Swanna shot towards the descending Strike, slashing at the Bug/Poison-type with her wing. However, just as Strike landed, he unfolded his armored body and swung his tail at the Water/Flying-type. The two Pokemon clashed against one another, wing against tail, eyes locked with each other. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Don't give up, Strike!" Tony shouted.

"Swanna, keep it up!" Skyla encouraged.

_Go, Tony, go, Tony…_ Anna thought from the bushes.

"S-scol!" Strike growled.

"W-wanna...!" Swanna replied with a wince.

Finally, the two Pokemon separated, leaping back from one another and staring each other down. Both of them were breathing heavily, as were their trainers.

"Heh…" Skyla wiped a drop of sweat from her brow. "I've gotta say, Tony… you've gotten really great. I thought my training might have put me a few levels over you, but you and your Pokemon are holding your own, huh?"

Tony nodded, panting. "W-well," he gasped, "I guess I was training just as hard as you were."

"Maybe." Skyla smirked. "But it isn't over yet!"

"Right!" Tony agreed. "Strike, you ready?"

"Scol!" Strike agreed, narrowing his eyes.

"Swanna, can you still fight?" Skyla asked.

"Wanna!" Swanna confirmed.

"Good! Then… use Bubblebeam again!"

"Counter with Veno-shock!"

Water and poison splashed against one another again, and the dangerous dance continued…

* * *

Anna's mouth slowly dropped open as she watched the battle continue, the Pokemon clashing against one another time and time again, countering each other's moves perfectly. Tony was good, but so was his friend. They were both good – no, great. Better than Anna had been when she had been a Pokemon Trainer.

Anna slowly clenched her chest, and her rapidly beating heart. Was this what… motherly pride felt like?

She had to admit, it felt pretty good. This must be what Sally felt like all the time.

* * *

"Hmm… Well, isn't that intriguing?"

A pair of binoculars lowered away from an icy due of eyes, gleaming coldly as they observed the distant battle. _These children… they have real talent. I could use people like them for my…_

A fanged grin slowly spread across his face. "Oh, this'll be good…"

* * *

Time and time again they clashed, and time and time again they recovered and fought on. It was a shame that this was simply a practice bout between two close friends, because it was epic enough to be the grand finale to a tournament, or maybe even the first battle of a Pokemon League match.

Every order Tony came up with was countered by Skyla, and every strategy Skyla came up with was predicted by her opponent. It was a battle where type advantages were meaningless; a real battle, where only the strongest combatant would win.

It felt as if hours had gone by – in reality, it was only ten minutes. Both Strike and Swanna were breathing heavily, covered in wounds and bumps. If Strike had any sweat glands, he'd be soaked right now. Swanna was no better off, her normally pristine plumage polluted by poison (I love alliteration).

Tony and Skyla were silently staring at one another. There was no unkindness, no weariness, or even that much competitiveness in their eyes. Just a strange sort of understanding, a trusting bond developed over months of travel with one another. They were Pokemon Trainers – they had Pokemon Battles. It's what they did.

"You done yet?" Skyla asked finally.

Tony smiled. "I think we're good. You?"

"You know me better than that. If we lose, we won't love because we quit!" Skyla replied. "Ready?"

"Ready! Strike, use Roll-out!"

"Swanna, use Bubble-beam again!"

The Pokemon snapped forward, their exhaustion forgotten, and the battle began again.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And so the long-awaited rematch has begun! Who will come out on top? And who's spying on them? Tune in next time to find out!**

**Reader Question Time! Who do you think will win this bout? Answer after you review!**

**Tune in next time for the battle's conclusion! Thanks for reading! **

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Swarm**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	33. A Battle Interrupted

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and Skyla had their long awaited rematch, and were amazed to discover that their skills were practically equal to one another. They battled with Strike and Swanna, unaware that both Anna Maruko and a mysterious man were watching their battle…**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

The battle couldn't last forever, of course. It had to come to an end eventually, and it mercifully did.

"Strike!" Tony shouted breathlessly. "Use Poison Tail!"

"Scoli!" Strike screeched, smashing his bruised tail right into Swanna's face. The Water/Flying-type wailed miserably as she stumbled back, rubbing her beak with her filthy wing.

"Do it again!" Tony shouted.

"Block it with Wing Attack!" Skyla countered.

"W-wanna!" Swann cried, raising her wing and blocking Strike's tail, wincing as she did so. Almost eighteen minutes had already gone by and Strike and Swanna were still fighting against each other.

"Keep it up, Swanna!" Skyla begged. "Push him off!"

"You've got her, Strike! Keep pushing!" Tony encouraged.

"S-scol…" Strike winced as he forced his weight upon the much-lighter Pokemon, amazed that she had held up for so long. "S-scol…" he growled angrily.

"Wanna…" Swanna retorted. The trainers may not have known it, but this was becoming much more than a Pokemon Battle to the actual combatants. All that both Strike and Swanna wanted was a victory against their opponent.

"Veno-shock!" Tony ordered.

"S-scoli!" Strike cried as he spewed a frothing burst of poison right into Swanna's face. The Water/Flying-type squawked angrily as she stumbled back, badly wounded by the poisonous spray.

"Swanna!" Skyla cried desperately. "You can do it! Bubble-beam and push him off!"

"W-wanna!" Swanna squawked, blasting Strike right back in the face with a gushing beam of water. Then, while her foe was distracted, she forced her entire weight onto her wing and struck the Bug/Poison-type as hard as she could with a powerful strike.

Strike gave a panicked cry as he was knocked off of Swanna and down onto his back. He cried out weakly as he waggled his multiple legs uselessly in the air, struggling to stand.

"Strike!" Tony cried. "Get up, hurry!"

It was too late. Skyla was quick to take advantage of the opportunity presented. "Swanna, Air Slash!"

"Wanna…!" Swanna cried, tearing her wing through the air and forming a blade of pressured air and sending it flying at her opponent. The blade struck the downed Scolipede full-force, briefly knocking him into the air. He hit the ground with a cloud of dust, and when said dust faded it was revealed that Strike's eyes were shut and his body was still, save for the occasional painful breath.

"Strike…" Tony muttered, surprised.

"W-w-wanna…" Swanna moaned, falling face-first into the ground, joining her opponent in unconsciousness.

Skyla smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Swanna," she said politely as she returned her Pokemon to her Pokeball. "Take a good rest."

"You did your best, Strike," Tony told his Scolipede, returning him as well. "Sorry I let you down…"

The two friends slowly looked from one to the other, both feeling exhausted already. "You've really gotten stronger…" Skyla admitted to Tony.

"Yeah, but not strong enough," Tony said sheepishly. "A loss is a loss."

"Don't worry about it," Skyla scoffed. "We'll call it a draw, okay?"

Tony shook his head. "No. You won and I lost – the first round, anyways," he added, a grin springing onto his face. "Round two?"

Skyla returned the smirk, her energy suddenly returning. "Only if you promise not to cry when you lose!" she declared, going from comforting to competitive in a flash.

The sudden sound of applause interrupted their witty repartee. "Very nice!"

Tony and Skyla whirled to face their unexpected audience. He was a tall man, incredibly thin and incredibly pale, with jet-black hair neatly groomed and slicked back. His eyes were as icy as Tony's where. He was dressed in a well-kept black suit that smelled like mothballs. A pair of binoculars hung around his neck.

Tony and Skyla stared suspiciously at the man, unsure as to how he had snuck up on them. Even Anna was surprised by the sudden arrival.

The man grinned at the teens – Tony thought that he saw fangs – and said, "Very impressive." He folded his hands neatly. "You two have a good deal of talent, as well as an excellent bond with your Pokemon."

"Uh… Thanks," Tony muttered.

"If I may, allow me to introduce myself," the man said. "My name is Grimsley. I'm a Pokemon Trainer, like you two…" He paused and chuckled, as if he had said something funny. "Well, maybe not _exactly_ like you, but that's another story. Anyways, I've been working on a little tournament, and I've been personally seeking out Pokemon Trainers for it." He grinned again, his fangs glinting. "You two are quite the talents. I'd like to personally extend an invitation to the first Roulette Rumble Tournament."

"Us?" Tony asked, surprised. "I…" he stuttered, unsure as to what to say to the invitation.

"What kind of tournament?" Skyla asked.

"A Pokemon Tournament, naturally," Grimsley answered matter-of-factly. "Of course, with my own personal twist. It's perfectly legal, if that's what you're worried about. I know to behave myself." He raised his hand and added, "Scout's honor."

Tony thought hard about it. Another tournament, so soon after the N1? Well, his performance in the N1 hadn't been spectacular (though it wasn't really his fault). However, the idea of a new tournament was pretty intriguing. But why was this Grimsley asking people at random?

"I know exactly what you're thinking," Grimsley said suddenly. "You're wondering why I'm recruiting trainers personally, aren't you?" Nothing the teens' dumbfounded expressions, the dark man chuckled quietly. "It's simple, really: I want only high-quality trainers in my tournament. It brings the masses. Besides, you two competed in the N1, didn't you?"

"H-how did you know…?" Skyla began.

"I'm something of a fan of the Pokemon League," Grimsley replied. "If there's a tournament, I watch it…" He turned red, and he mumbled, "And I place the occasional, and completely legitimate, bet on a match or two…"

Now that turned on some alarms in Tony's head. _Placing bets?_ he thought, surprised. Even with his sheltered upbringing, Tony knew what Grimsley was talking about: gambling. Suddenly, he felt as if he was being approached by a con-man trying to set him up.

Grimsley noted Tony's worried expression, as did Skyla. "Oh, don't look like that," the dark man pouted. "It's completely legitimate, really. And, if it's any consolation," he added with a small grin, "I bet on you two during the N1." He looked at Tony. "By the way, I lost three thousand yen because of you."

That didn't make things any better for Tony's worries. "I'm sorry," he said, wishing hard to get away from Grimsley, "but I don't know if we can…"

"When's the tournament?" Skyla interrupted curiously.

"Next week, on Saturday," Grimsley replied with a smirk. "It's at my casino in Nimbasa City, _the Bloody Mary."_

"That's on our way," Skyla told the shell-shocked Tony. "Let's give it a try!"

"Wha-?" Tony stuttered.

"Excellent!" Grimsley chuckled. "I look forward to seeing you perform. Don't worry," he added, looking to Tony, "I'll make sure everything is kept PG for your visit." He gave a slow chuckle, clearly amused by something. "Thank you very much. I'll be waiting for you in Nimbasa City."

"But I…" Tony began.

"Oh, yes," Grimsley added, "and the grand prize of the tournament is a solid gold trophy."

Now that caught Anna's attention. "What?" she whispered from behind the foliage.

"Really?" Skyla asked. "A real solid gold trophy?"

"Of course!" Grimsley replied. "An antique one, as well. I recently acquired it from an adorable little antique shop."

"What's it worth, what's it worth?" Anna whispered eagerly.

"Wow, a real gold trophy…" Tony muttered. "How much is it worth?" he asked Grimsley.

"Thank you!" Anna blew a kiss at her son.

"I don't know for sure…" Grimsley paused, allowing the suspense to build, "but I recently received an offer to buy it for over ten-hundred thousand yen."

The cash register in Anna's head went off with a "Ding!"

Well, neither Tony nor Skyla were particularly wanting for money, but a trophy did sound pretty cool, and it was a good chance to get some training done for their Pokemon. Besides, Grimsley had done an excellent job at flattering them. "Alright," Tony finally conceded. "It sounds fun! Sure, we'll join."

Grimsley clapped his hands together. "Thank you! Thank you very much. I'll be waiting for you at my casino. I look forward to seeing you compete!" Then, with a strange smirk but without another word, Grimsley departed, chuckling to himself as he departed.

"Alright," Skyla said with a grin. "We're finally getting a little respect around here!"

"The Roulette Rumble…" Tony muttered. It sound cool, albeit something Aunt Sally probably wouldn't want him to be a part of. "This could be our chance to make up for the N1…" he muttered, looking down to the Pokeballs on his belt.

"That's the spirit!" Skyla slapped her friend on the back. "We'll both join! With all the training we've done, one of us might have a chance of bringing home that trophy!"

"Right," Tony agreed with a nod. All that training was bound to pay off, and this time there'd be no Team Plasma (hopefully) to screw things up.

"Come on," Skyla said, grabbing Tony's arm and dragging him off. "Our Pokemon are gonna need some rest."

"B-but what about our rematch?" Tony asked.

"Who cares about that?" Skyla said with a snort. "If we do well at this new tournament, we can rematch there!"

"Oh," Tony said, unsure whether to be relieved or disappointed. "Okay then…"

"Besides," Skyla added, rubbing her stomach, "I'm hungry after that long trip and want some ice cream. You're buying!"

"Yeah, sure, I… Hey!"

Skyla laughed as she dragged Tony into mainstream Castelia once again, the previous draw long-forgotten already as she eagerly dreamed of their return to the tournament circuit.

* * *

_Ten-hundred thousand yen…_

Anna sighed as she plumped down onto her bench in the cruddy ice cream both, resting her face on her hands. Though her shift had begun once more, she hardly cared. It wasn't like anyone was asking for ice cream, anyways. So, she sat there, deep in thought.

Ten-hundred thousand yen! That was a small fortune – more importantly, it would be enough for Anna to begin her business again. All she would have to do was do what she had done in Kanto: open a small grocery market, crush and absorb the competition…

Anna froze and shuddered. Okay, skip the crushing and absorbing step. She couldn't very well do that with this new conscience she had developed. She could, however, open her own store again – maybe in a more rural area – and have a steady source of income once more.

It was a good plan – too good. That usually meant it was impossible. Anna shook her head. She wasn't a Pokemon Trainer anymore. Her license had expired years ago. The only Pokemon she had kept with her were her Houndoom, the dog-like Pokemon that acted as her bodyguards/bouncers. Now she didn't even have those. How pathetic that would be? Her, a thirty-nine year old woman, asking for a Starter Pokemon of all things!

Still… Ten-hundred thousand yen…

Anna stroked her chin. Maybe she could…

"Excuse me, ma'am! Two vanilla cones, please! And I wanted mine dipped in chocolate fudge!"

Anna's eyes went wide with recognition and surprise. She slowly, nervously turned her head around. Tony and Skyla stared back, recognition slowly coming to their expressions.

Tony gaped. "M-mom?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Awkward. So much for your "low-level merchandising" job, eh, Anna?**

**Reader Question Time! Do you think that Anna should begin Pokemon Training again? Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard **

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	34. When Skyla met Anna

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and Skyla's rematch was anticlimactically interrupted by a tall, well-dressed man named Grimsley. Impressed by the skills of the two friends, the man invited them to participate in the "Roulette Rumble," a Pokemon Tournament he was holding at his casino. Though Tony was initially reluctant to enter a tournament run by an admitted gambler, the chance to redeem himself publically for his unfair defeat at the N1 and Skyla's enthusiasm convinced him to agree to join. They were all unaware that Anna was watching them converse with one another, and was more interested in the prize trophy, which Grimsley claimed was incredibly valuable. Deep in thought, Anna returned to her dreary job at an ice cream stand, wondering if she should take up Pokemon Training again so that she could claim the trophy for herself and sell it to help revive her business. Her thoughts were interrupted when Tony and Skyla approached asking for ice cream, and were surprised to see Anna was there.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

"Mom?" Tony repeated. "What are you doing here?"

Anna's face went blank as she struggled to think of an excuse that didn't make her look thoroughly pathetic. "I'm…"

"Anna!" The enraged voice of her manager in the back froze her stock solid. "Stop chatting and give them their ice cream! And smile, too – but not in that freaky way!"

Anna's left eye twitched. "May I help you?" she asked.

"Mom," Tony whispered, "you work at an ice cream stand?"

Anna nodded once, desperately hoping that her boss didn't hear that.

"Uh… like I said, two vanilla Castelia cones, please," Skyla said awkwardly. "And, uh, I want fudge on top of mine."

"Would you like sprinkles with that?" Anna asked greyly.

"Uh… sure."

Anna swiftly got them their ice cream, feeling hot and humiliated all the way. Finally, she handed two expertly made cones to the two teens and accepted Tony's payment. "Thank you. Come again," the former tycoon said, wishing deeply that Tony would forget that he saw her here, or at the very least not tell Sally about this.

"Mom, are you okay?" Tony asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," Anna lied. "T-this is just my part-time job, that's all."

"Oh…" Tony shrugged. "Well, it's not like scooping ice cream is a bad job, right?" he asked.

Anna mentally scowled. _You have no idea…_ she thought bitterly. "No, it's not," she said aloud. "Go eat your ice cream. Have a wonderful day."

"O-okay…" Tony nodded and walked off awkwardly with Skyla, both of whom looked rather uncomfortable.

Suddenly, Tony paused. "Hey, mom!" he called.

Anna looked up. "Yes?"

"Want to join us for dinner?" Tony asked, surprising both Skyla and Anna.

Anna slowly found herself nodding. "If you'd like to take me, then yes, I'd love to."

"Great!" Tony replied. "Call me when you're done!"

Tony and Skyla walked off together, leaving Anna alone to brood. Off to train some more, probably. Off for amazing adventures in the wild blue yonder. Off to win that trophy…

Anna tore off her white apron and red cap and threw them to the ground. "I quit!" she announced, before hopping over the counter and dashing back to her apartment to change.

The life of a Pokemon Trainer was hard – but anything was better, at this point, than shilling ice cream and being forced to smile.

* * *

Tony chose a tiny restaurant plainly entitled _Traditional Johto Cuisine_. Of course, it wasn't really Johto Cuisine – at least genuine Johto Cuisine – just the Unovan idea of what authentic Johto food should be like. Tony and Anna knew this much; Kanto and Johto were next door neighbors, and they shared much with each other in terms of tradition and food.

Still, Skyla seemed satisfied – with the food, anyways.

So it was that at five p.m., Anna met Tony and Skyla at the restaurant. It was small and cramped inside, but on the outside there was a single table, shaded by an ornate floral umbrella and with a trio of chairs surrounding it. There wasn't much traffic that side of the city that evening, so they decided to eat outside. They placed their orders, sat in relative silence for about fifteen minutes, and, when their food arrived, started eating.

It was hardly gourmet (this much Anna knew) and it certainly wasn't up to par with Aunt Sally's cooking (this much Tony knew) but it was passable, and it did keep their minds of the uncomfortable meal. Well, for a while, anyways.

Tony's tongue was loosened by his filled stomach, as were Anna's ears. Before long, the mother and son were deep in conversation, Anna inquiring how Tony's travels had been so far and Tony giving her a highly censored version of the truth.

All the while, Skyla sat and watched, awkwardly tapping her booted toes on the floor. Skyla knew all about Tony and his mother – she was the first person outside of his family and therapist with whom he had confided the truth about his horrible past and consistent nightmares. It had been perhaps the most heart-wrenching thing that Skyla had ever seen, all those nights ago, when she saw a confident, free-spirited boy break down into tears and confess that he had been abandoned.

Needless to say, Skyla was quite surprised when she heard that Tony had made amends with his mother – as was everyone else in his family. After all, Tony had suffered emotional trauma from that day, long ago. It was a horrifying scenario for his aunt and uncle as well – Tony had simply shut off when his mother had left him in Pallet Town. He wouldn't talk, eat, drink, play, or anything. If they hadn't gotten him help, he could have ended up in a hospital or worse.

Maybe this is why Tony was such a marvel in the eyes of his family – his kindhearted, forgiving, and utterly foolish nature. Most people would not forgive a parent who had caused such deep emotional harm to them. Most people would hold onto that grudge for the rest of their lives.

Of course, Skyla didn't really begrudge Anna all that much. While she did dislike the woman for abandoning her friend, she did seem to be trying to make up for what had happened. Still, it was incredibly awkward to be sitting there with her and Tony; she felt like a third wheel, and was even a little annoyed to how much attention Tony was giving to Anna. She hadn't even wanted to come here, but Tony had insisted that she did, in order to introduce her to his mother. He had introduced the two to one another, but neither of them had said much. Not that Skyla had wanted to say anything to Anna…

"The Roulette Rumble?" Anna's voice caught the brooding Skyla's attention with that familiar subject. "What's that?" the former-tycoon asked her son, feigning ignorance.

"It's a big Pokemon Tournament being held at a casino in Nimbasa City," Tony explained. "Skyla and me got invited personally by the guy holding it!"

"That sounds exciting," Anna replied. "A casino, hmm? Will your aunt approve of that?"

Tony turned red. "W-well…" he stuttered.

"Regardless, you have my blessing and permission to compete," Anna said. "Provided you stay out of trouble. Gambling is hardly ethical."

_And you would know about ethical, wouldn't you?_ Skyla thought snidely.

"Thanks," Tony said gratefully. "I hope Auntie says the same thing…" He paused for a moment and then stood up. "Excuse me," he said swiftly, "I need to use the restroom real quick."

"Go ahead," Anna said with a shrug.

Tony quickly made his way inside the restaurant, leaving Anna and Skyla together and alone.

There was a long, long silence. Skyla stared at Anna and Anna stared right back. There was no hostility in their eyes; they were grey, emotionless, awkward stares, unsure and unpleasant to behold.

Skyla opened her mouth to say something, and then shut it. She repeated the process three times, each time never actually saying anything. Anna stared at her bizarrely, wondering just what the girl was doing with her mouth.

A minute passed, and Tony hadn't returned yet.

Skyla took a deep breath and broke away from Anna's stare. She reached for her glass to take a drink.

"What are your intentions for my Antonio?"

Skyla's fingers twitched, accidently knocking her glass to the pavement where it shattered in an explosion of crystals and cola. She gaped at the now interrogative Anna, stuttering incomprehensibly for a good response. All she could muster, sadly, was a "Huh…?"

"Your intentions for my son," Anna repeated. "What are they?"

Skyla finally regained her wits. "W-what intentions?" she asked, surprised. "We're just friends, that's all!"

Anna snorted. "Friends," she repeated with a dry chuckle. "In my day, boys and girls did not travel alone together during their Pokemon Journey – especially when they were hormonal teenagers – regardless of whether or not they were friends."

Skyla's face turned bright red at the word "hormonal."

"Why are you travelling with my son?" Anna asked again, this time the tone of her voice making it very clear that she expected an understandable answer.

Skyla swallowed her embarrassment and forced her usually confident demeanor to return to her face. "W-we're friends," she said calmly. "Tony's a good Pokemon Trainer but he doesn't know Unova like I do. So, I'm helping him travel and he's helping me become a better trainer."

"Are you implying that my son is too stupid to buy a map?" Anna asked.

Skyla just managed not to scowl. Was Anna _trying_ to pick a fight? "No, of course not!" she defended.

"Then why don't you tell me the real reason why you're travelling with him?" Anna asked.

"We're – just – friends!" Skyla emphasized, feeling exhausted all of the sudden.

"What kind of friends?" Anna asked.

"Good friends."

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"No!" Skyla exclaimed, turning bright red again.

"Why? Is he not good enough for you?"

Skyla nearly fell over. "We're just friends!" she shouted, standing up and slamming her hands on the table. "Just because a girl and a boy spend time together doesn't mean that they're destined to get involved!"

There was an awkward cough. Skyla and Anna slowly swerved to see that a small crowd had gathered around them, staring bizarrely at the two women with wide eyes, their journeys home from work interrupted by Skyla's outburst.

"W-what are you looking at?!" Skyla screamed. Their unwanted audience quickly scattered fearfully away.

Skyla groaned as she slumped down into her chair, rubbing her forehead.

"So, you're not a couple, then," Anna said.

"No, we're not."

"Huh. I hardly blame you. Tony is a bit on the scrawny side," Anna said, stroking her chin.

Skyla looked up, a sudden cold glint entering her eyes. "What?"

"He's a little short, is all I meant," Anna said. "That and he looks rather childish. He's more cute than handsome, really. Hardly boyfriend material."

"I…" Skyla stuttered, absolutely appalled. After all the effort Tony had gone through to mend his relationship with Anna, she was actually… insulting him!

Skyla stood up again. "How… how dare you!?" she snapped. "After all the misery you've caused him, after all the pain, you have the nerve to say that he's 'hardly boyfriend material'?! Well," she snapped, grabbing Anna by the collar and, displaying impressive strength, yanked the older woman to her feet, "let me tell you something! Tony is handsome in his own way! He's thoughtful, kind, and forgiving, even to people who don't deserve it like you! And, yeah, he's short and scrawny, but he's still the nicest boy I've ever met! I…!"

She paused. Anna wasn't glaring. She wasn't frowning. She wasn't even miffed. She was smiling, smiling some bizarre grin that was a cross between a smirk and a regular, caring smile.

Skyla turned bright red. "Y-you didn't mean…"

"No, I didn't," Anna replied, pulling Skyla's hand off of her collar.

Skyla mutely sat down. Anna had tricked her. She hadn't meant any of what she had said; she just wanted to see Skyla's reaction, to see what she really thought about Tony.

Skyla's face turned red again as the two returned to their silence. Eventually, Tony returned from the restroom.

"I'm back!" the blond announced, returning to his seat. "What did I miss?" he asked the two girls.

Neither Skyla nor Anna answered. They resumed their meals in silence, leaving a confused Tony to ponder what had happened during his absence.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Tony's living the dream; first time his mom and potential girlfriend meet and he goes to the bathroom just in time to avoid the most awkward dinner of all time. :D**

**Reader Question Time! Do you think that the Pokemon Jynx was racist? Be honest, now. Be sure to answer after you review!**

**That's it for now! I'll try to update as soon as I can! Thanks for reading!**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy **


	35. Contemplations in the Pokemon Center

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and Skyla found Tony's mother, Anna, manning an ice cream both in Castelia City. Tony invited his mother to join him and Skyla for dinner, allowing him to formally introduce the two. Things were already pretty awkward when Tony left to use the restroom, but Anna decided to increase the uncomfortable levels by asking Skyla what her intentions were with Tony. After a brief outburst and some trickery on Anna's part, Skyla admitted that she thought Tony was handsome. Tony arrived back at the table moments afterwards, and Anna and Skyla mercifully shut up.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

The evening mercifully came to an end. Tony paid for dinner out of good manners and the fact that he knew his mom was practically broke. With that done, the time came to say goodbye.

So there they were, standing by the side of the traffic-ridden street as the sun slowly drifted off into invisibility. "I guess this is goodbye again," Tony said to Anna quietly.

Anna nodded. "It is." She slowly put her hand on Tony's shoulder. "Don't worry," she said. "I have a feeling we'll be running into one another again."

Tony gave a small smile. "Good," he said. "Next time you can see my Pokemon again. I promise they'll behave!"

"We'll see," Anna agreed. She then turned her attention to Skyla, who was trying hard not to look at the former-tycoon. "Ms. Skyla," Anna said. "Take care of Tony for me, would you?"

Skyla blushed. "Y-yeah, sure. Bye."

"Bye," Tony said.

Anna shouldered her purse and walked off, waving to her son and his friend as she walked off – not to her apartment, but to the local bus-station. For the sake of the new Maruko Mart, she was going back to Nuvema Town.

"Bye!" Tony called again. "I'll miss you!"

"Bye," Anna echoed with a nod. "Don't get into any trouble."

And with that she was gone, vanishing into the crowds of Castelia City once more.

Tony smiled brightly. "Today was awesome," he said happily. Then, he turned to Skyla and noticed how uncomfortable she looked. "Skyla? What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

Skyla shook her head, as if that would take away the blush. "I-it's nothing. Let's just go back to the Pokemon Center, alright? I want to check up on my Pokemon before we head out tomorrow."

Tony slowly nodded. Skyla was just as good as he was when it came to keeping feelings cooped up inside; if something was bothering her she'd talk when she wanted to talk.

And so, the two teens returned to the Pokemon Center, the sun vanishing behind them and leaving Castelia in a shroud of darkness and stars. Tomorrow, their journey would begin anew. Next stop: Nimbasa City.

* * *

Skyla sighed as she plopped down onto her bed, clad in the white tank-top and blue shorts that constituted her pajamas. In her hands was a small blue notebook and a pen. Tony was out, calling his Aunt Sally and bringing her up to date on the day's events. Until then, Skyla had the room to herself, and the time to sort out a few things that had been on her mind.

She flipped through the pages of doodles until she found one relatively clear page. With a trembling hand she slowly wrote "Tony" on the top of the page. Then, she wrote "Bad" on the left and "Good" on the right.

She took a deep breath and wrote "Shy" on the bad list. She quickly crossed a big X over it. Being shy wasn't really a bad thing, she decided, and Tony isn't nearly as antisocial as he used to be.

She tried again, this time writing "Reckless" underneath bad. She couldn't cross that one off; Tony did have a bad habit of getting himself into trouble, regardless of the odds against him. Then again, he was pretty brave for that…

She sighed and wrote "Brave" on the good list. Then, she wrote "Nice," and "Hardworking," and "Good with Pokemon" as well. Skyla's face turned redder with each word she wrote down. She suddenly felt very dizzy, and her stomach was flip-flopping.

Finally, she dropped the pen and looked at the list. She had written ten good things about Tony, and only one bad thing. On the very bottom of the good things she had written "Kind of handsome."

Skyla tore the page out with a sigh and crumpled it up. "When did my life become so hard?" she asked, burying her head into her pillow.

* * *

Tony tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his Aunt Sally to catch her breath after about a five minute rant. The brunette's cheeks were bright red as she panted rapidly, rubbing the sweat off of her forehead.

"Hah… Hah… Alright, anyways, as I was saying…" she began again, her voice slightly distorted by the speakers of the xtransceiver.

"I shouldn't be so trusting," Tony answered drily. He surprised himself a little right there; normally he was much more patient with his Auntie, but for some reason she seemed bent on making a huge deal out of every single interaction he made with his mother.

"Right," Aunt Sally answered, the dryness completely escaping her notice.

"Auntie, she's my mother," Tony reminded her for what felt like the hundredth time.

"But she…"

"I know."

"And she…"

"I know!" Tony gasped. "L-look, it's nothing bad, alright? We just ate dinner together. That's all."

Aunt Sally sighed. "Well, at least you and Skyla had someone to chaperone your date…"

"Yeah, see? There's a bright side to…" Tony blinked. "But – but it wasn't a…"

Sally gave a small, teasing grin, her good mood slowly returning. "What would you call it then, Tony?" she asked. "In my day, when a boy and a girl ate a meal together alone it was called a date."

"I-it wasn't a date!" Tony insisted, his cheeks turning scarlet.

"Tony, it was a date." She paused and then added, "And you probably shouldn't go on dates with older women!" Her voice became hard again.

"It wasn't a date!" Tony exclaimed. "We're just friends!"

"Sure you are…"

"We're not …And what's wrong with dating older women? I mean… not that Skyla's a woman… She's a…"

"Girl?"

"Yeah."

"But she's still older."

"That doesn't matter…"

"If you're just friends…"

"We are!" Tony blinked and face-palmed. _Here we go again…_ "It wasn't a date."

"I don't want you dating, Tony," Anna said; the pregnancy hormones were probably talking right now.

"I'm not," Tony insisted, suddenly feeling very tired. "L-look, I'm feeling sleepy. I have to go to bed."

"Alright, dear," Sally said, her cheery disposition returning. "Have a good rest… You're not sleeping in the same bed as Skyla, are you?"

Tony switched the xtransceiver off_. It's the pregnancy talking…_ he told himself, shaking his head. His Auntie had always been overprotective, but this was something else…

Yawning loudly, he returned to the room that the Pokemon Center was lending out to them. Skyla was there, fast asleep already. Tony couldn't help but smile; considering how loud she was when she was awake, it was kind of cute to see her so quiet.

Kind of cute…

Tony rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes. _Better get some sleep_, he thought, shaking his head. _Big day tomorrow._

* * *

"Heh. Found it."

The dark-haired woman's fingers came to a halt over the keyboard. The light of the computer screen was reflected in her exaggerated glasses, giving her eyes a bizarre gleam. The image of a gleaming golden trophy, covered in bizarre markings, was displayed on the screen.

"Here it is," the woman told her accomplice. "This trophy displays the same runes as the typewriter did. It probably holds our next clue."

Her accomplice grinned. "Perfect," he chuckled in a raspy voice. "Who's the owner?"

"If you're planning on buying it," the woman deadpanned, "then prepare to be disappointed. It's the grand prize in some kind of Pokemon Tournament. The Roulette Rumble or whatever…"

"Even better!" the male crowed, rubbing his hands together. "I'm happy to deprive a Pokemon Trainer of a prize."

The woman snorted. "And I suppose you'll be the one to do it?" she asked drily.

"Of course I will!" the man snorted.

"By what? You think you could actually _win_ a tournament?"

The man chuckled. "Nothing so complicated. I'm just going to steal it."

Numera rolled her eyes, adjusting her ridiculous disguise glasses. "Of course," she replied.

"Bring up the blueprints of wherever this tournament is," Mystico ordered with a chuckle. "Who knows? Maybe this time we can have a heist without a hitch! Hehehe… Achoo!" He rubbed his nose. "The heck was that…?"

"Um… Sir? Ma'am?"

The disguised duo slowly turned to face the sheepish-looking librarian. "You're being too loud," she said, obviously new and not used to scolding. "And we have a rule against maniacal laughter in the library. If you continue, I'm going to have to insist you leave the computer lab."

Mystico pouted. "That was hardly maniacal," he muttered darkly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Numera scowled. If there was one thing she missed about being in Team Plasma, it was having access to her own computer… and not having to go to a public library of all things… and having her own room… and being able to take showers… and…

She gave a long sigh. Okay, yeah; Team Plasma was starting to look pretty good right about now. "We'll be quiet," she hissed, turning her attention to the meek librarian. "Now go and sort books or whatever it is you do. We have… a college project to prepare for."

"A college project?" the librarian asked.

Mystico smirked. "Yup. For kleptomania 101."

The librarian nodded dumbly and walked off, deciding that the two "college students" were not her type. It wasn't until later when she finally pulled out a dictionary and found out what "kleptomania" meant. By the time she found out, the two were long gone – and they had somehow managed to sneak out with the computer they had been using, too…

Well, at least Numera wasn't wanting for a computer anymore…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Mega Charizard X! Whoot!**

**About darn time that Charizard was part Dragon-type. And, as we all know, blue fire is always awesome. **

**Mystico and Numera seem to be tied to Tony and Skyla, don't they…? Guess they're off to the Roulette Rumbled, too! Will they steal the trophy, or will they have to find an alternate method to obtain it? **

**Reader Question Time! Mega Charizard X or Mega Charizard Y? Which one do you prefer? Personally, it's X all the way for me! Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard **

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	36. Anna's New Job

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Both Tony and Skyla were met with conflicting emotions regarding one another as they rested at the Pokemon Center. Meanwhile, Mystico and Numera discovered the location of their next "target," a trophy with the same mysterious runes that Shauntal's typewriter had, which is the grand prize at the Roulette Rumble Tournament! **

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Aurea Juniper was fond of visitors. That being said, she preferred when said visitors called ahead and let her know that they were coming, so that they didn't catch her half-asleep in her pajamas.

Well, in Anna's defense, it was ten in the morning. It wasn't her fault that Juniper had a bad habit of sleeping in on her off-days. To be honest, back when Maruko Corp. had still existed Anna had used her free days to sleep in as well.

Still, there was no denying that their meeting was awkward. Anna's visit was completely unexpected and Juniper was still wearing her bathrobe, her hair a wild mess and her eyes slightly bloodshot. Anna wasn't much better, having spent the night on the bus. Her hair was just as wild as Juniper's, and her back hurt so much from the hard seats that she couldn't stand up perfectly straight. She was wearing a blue blouse covered by a red sports jacket and a red skirt; it was her favorite outfit from when she had still been a tycoon, and with everything she had had to sell to get this far it was one of the few treasures she still had left.

For whatever reason, Juniper invited Anna in for coffee. The Pokemon Professor was still only half-awake, barely able to comprehend who Anna was. She mindlessly escorted her guest to the kitchen and started the coffee machine.

Juniper's kitchen was as messy as usual. Being a busy scientist who had a busy social life, she didn't have much time for cleaning. The table had a small pile of dishes, washed and unwashed, stacked on it, as well as junk mail that she had never gotten around to throwing out. The sink had a pile of dirty plates from yesterday that had been sitting in the dirty water all evening. A housekeeper would have done the Pokemon Professor good.

The coffee-maker beeped and Juniper managed to find two clean mugs in the cabinet. She poured herself and Anna a cup and they both sat down at the wooden table. At least the coffee was good, if anything.

Anna had remained silent ever since Juniper has asked her for coffee, mainly to keep her mouth shut so that the temptation to suggest Juniper find a maid wouldn't come out. She didn't want to offend her potential savior.

Finally, the coffee had its effect on Juniper's mind. The gears started turning and she finally realized the situation. "So, uh, what are you doing here?" she asked, the grogginess fading from her voice.

"I need your help," Anna said. "I need a Starter Pokemon?"

Juniper paused mid-sip. "Eh?"

"I've decided to become a Pokemon Trainer again," Anna explained. "I had my license renewed last night in Accumula Town. I've come to get a starter from you."

Juniper sighed and set her mug down. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," she said, speaking this carefully rehearsed line for at least the tenth time, "but I cannot give out a Starter Pokemon to someone who hasn't made a reservation to receive one." She kept her tone polite but deep down she was annoyed. Why did everyone seem to think she just handed starters out all willy-nilly?

Anna frowned. "A reservation?" she asked.

"Yes, a reservation," Juniper replied. "Starter Pokemon are expensive to breed, you know. I can't just give them out to everyone who knocks on my door."

"Oh," Anna said, keeping her tone neutral to hide her disappointment. "So, you don't have any, then."

"Oh, no, I have some," Juniper explained. "They arrived just yesterday. I just can't hand them out to you. You need to fill out a form and send it in to me. You should have your starter in, say…" She did a quick mental calculation. "About a week."

Anna winced. A week? She had spent the majority of her money to get here, and what she had left in her bank account was needed to pay for her apartment, where what few possessions she had left were kept. The nearest motel was back in Accumula Town, and she didn't have nearly enough to pay for a room, not to mention food. Sally lived nearby, but Anna knew that without Tony to plead for her mother's sake that his Auntie would not allow her sister to step a foot into the house.

She could have explained that to Juniper, but in the world of business a sob-story was just that – a story. She had met the Pokemon Professor and known her for mere minutes; there was no telling if she would believe her if she explained.

"I thought you had Pokemon," Juniper said. "Tony told me all about how Team Plasma hypnotized you and gave you Pokemon to fight with. He also said that you had some Houndoom as guard dogs."

Anna looked down, feeling ashamed. "The police confiscated the Pokemon that those Plasmas had given me. They weren't taking any chances, I suppose. As for the Houndoom, I had to let them go. I couldn't feed them, so I sent them to a Pokemon adoption center in Johto."

"Tony didn't tell me that…" Juniper muttered, surprised.

"That's because I didn't tell him," Anna replied, looking away. Her son took enough pity on her now; he'd be a fountain of mushy compassion if she let those little details go. "It's… humiliating. I even had to let my driver… my friend go. I couldn't pay him and there wasn't enough food. He's already back to work, driving around some other tycoon now." She sighed miserably.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Juniper said sincerely.

Anna blinked. Looks like the sob-story had gotten out, and Juniper seemed genuinely sorry for her. Clearly, the professor was no business-woman. Using the advantage presented, Anna said, "I'm not asking for you to give one to me for free. I'll pay you if you want."

Juniper folded her arms. "I don't know…" she muttered thoughtfully. "I…" She paused and looked to the sink, and then to the floor, and then to Anna. "Huh…"

Anna's cold eyes flashed hopefully. "Yes?"

"I don't want your money," Juniper said. "Your services, however, would be appreciated. How good are you at cleaning?"

Anna froze like a Deerling in a pair of headlights. Cleaning? She knew she was poor now, but… cleaning? Anna couldn't remember the last time she had so much as polished her buttons by herself, let alone what this house was going to need. "My… cleaning skills?" she asked.

Juniper nodded eagerly. "I know this may surprise you, but I'm really not that good at cleaning."

"You're joking," Anna said, recovering enough of her wit to be dry.

"No, really," Juniper said. "So, the lab's gotten kind of messy recently, and it needs a good clean up. If you can get my house clean, I'll give you a starter, no paperwork, no fee, no week of waiting, no nothing. How does that sound?" She smiled and held out her hand, expecting Anna to shake it.

The old Anna would have laughed in Juniper's stupid grinning face. The old Anna would have been insulted to be mistaken for a common maid. The old Anna was gone, and the new Anna was dirt poor and in need of money. She took Juniper's hand and reluctantly shook it. "Deal," she said.

"Perfect!" Juniper said happily. "Now I don't have to clean today and can go run my errands." She swiftly finished her coffee and stood up, heading back upstairs. "I'll be done when I'm dressed!" she called. "I'll have a list of things for you to do, too, so finish up your coffee!"

Anna watched as the Pokemon Professor hurried happily upstairs. Sighing to herself, she finished her coffee and looked around the messy kitchen. If this was any testament to the rest of the house…

Anna shook her head. If a maid could do it, so could she. It was just a little cleaning. How hard could it honestly be?

* * *

"Augh! Son of a…"

Anna swore as she slipped on the soaked floor and landed right on her soar rear-end – again. She accidentally kicked the bucket of soapy water as she fell, splashing suds all over the checkered tiles.

Anna scowled as she used the mop to stand up_. Note to self_, she thought angrily. _Never wear heels when mopping. No, wait, better note: never mop again!_

She kicked off her red high-heels, the only pair of shoes that she had left, and set back to work.

* * *

Anna nearly gagged as she pulled out another plastic container of… something… from Juniper's refrigerator. She dumped it into the trash bag, where it joined seven other containers with unidentifiable and foul-smelling contents.

"How is that woman still alive?" Anna asked herself, reaching back into the fridge and finding a jar of what she hoped were pickles.

* * *

Heavy-lifting had never been Anna's forte. She preferred brains to brawns any day. She couldn't ever remember a day that she had had to lift anything over thirty pounds, much less a day that she had taken out the trash of all things.

Well, there's a first time for everything.

Anna's legs trembled with each step. Her fingers felt brittle and weak as they wrapped around the edge of the bag that was slung over her back. Anna inched closer and closer to the trashcan by the curb, praying to heaven that nothing in the bag shattered and caused it to leak whatever toxins those containers held all over her already messy suit.

Unfortunately, Anna was still barefoot from the mopping debacle. She was also focusing more on the trashcan rather than the walk that led to Juniper's house. So, she didn't notice the rather pointy pebble until her soft left foot came down onto it.

Anna cried out and stepped back. The heavy trash bag threw her off balance. With a cry, Anna fell down to the ground, the trash bag breaking her fall. There was a loud tearing sound, followed by the crunching of broken glass.

Anna stood up on shaky legs, looking down at the torn and broken pile of sludge that now decorated Juniper's walkway. She fell down to her knees, her fingers twitching and her eyes bulging.

"Click!"

Anna slowly turned her shaking head to see Sally there, who was holding a camera in her hands. The younger sister gave the elder a small smirk. "I was about to leave on my walk," she explained coldly, "when I ran into Aurea. She told me you were cleaning her house. I wanted to see if it was true." She patted the camera, now containing the immortal image of Anna's humiliation, fondly.

Anna made a face that she had never made before and that she would never make again. The message was clear, and Sally returned to her walk with a shiver, leaving Anna to pick up the pieces.

Anna glared down at the broken trash bag, gnashing her teeth and spitting on the ground. She angrily rubbed the sweat from her face, smudging her lipstick, and started to clean up the mess.

"Oh, my… Those weren't pickles… Ugh…"

* * *

**Author's note:**

**Welcome to the world of housekeeping, Anna. If only she had gone to Virbank City, instead. She could have acted in a few movies to earn money instead. **

**Only a few days left until X and Y! I can't wait! :D**

**Reader Question Time! Which starter do you think Anna should choose? Snivy, Oshawott, or Tepig? Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard **

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	37. Anna's Journey Begins Anew

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Instead of putting focus on the protagonist, the author decided to give his mother a little screen-time! Anna Maruko showed up at Professor Juniper's door and requested a starter Pokemon so that she could begin training Pokemon again! While Juniper initially refused, stating that Anna would have had to reserve a starter Pokemon like everyone else, she agreed to give Anna one early if she would clean up the dismal laboratory that the Pokemon Professor called home. Anna started cleaning and quickly remember why she had hired a maid back when she was still rich.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Juniper's finger ran over the kitchen's marble countertop. She held up her hand and observed her finger closely. Huh. Not a speck of grime. Not bad…

The floors were mopped and gleaming in the early noon sunshine. The carpets looked and smelled better than the day they had come from the store. The windows were so clean they looked almost like thin air, and best of all, the three shining Pokeballs in her office were untouched. The house was _spotless_. In fact, it was probably the cleanest that Aurea had ever seen it.

It didn't take long to find who was responsible for such a miracle. All she had to do was follow the sounds of snoring. Juniper found Anna in the living room, face-down in the couch and sleeping soundly after a hard few hours of work. Oddly enough, the thirty-nine year-old woman looked bizarrely adorable when asleep.

It was a shame to have to wake her up, but it had to be done. Juniper shook Anna's shoulder. "Ms. Maruko…"

"G-go away, Jerry…" Anna snorted, still asleep. "I'm taking my money bath…"

"Ms. Maruko!" Juniper said, shaking her a bit more harshly.

Anna's cold eyes snapped open and found nothing but darkness. She sat up, quickly wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth. "W-what…?" She looked up to Juniper, finally remembering where she was. "Oh. You're back."

"Yes I am," Juniper replied. "The house looks pretty clean. I'm impressed."

_You'd better be_, Anna thought bitterly.

"No, really," Juniper continued. "The Pokeballs for the starters were in my office and you didn't steal them while I was gone. I mean, if you were still the way you were nine years ago, you probably would've just stolen them and run off rather than have to do hard work and only receive one for your efforts.

Anna stared blankly. "Y-you know…?"

Juniper rolled her eyes. "Your sister – bless her, she is a wonderful woman – hasn't shut up about you since you showed up to see Tony. She told me about the past – about what you did to him."

Anna rubbed her forehead. "That was a mistake – a bad one," she emphasized.

Juniper nodded. "It was. I like Tony. He reminds me of my father. He's a good kid, and I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him. That's why I had to make sure you had really changed before I gave you anything – that's why I had to test you."

"Test me?" Anna asked, confused. "Y-you didn't…"

"I did," Juniper said with a smile. "You cleaned up my house, didn't you? You didn't try to steal the Pokemon and sneak away when you had the chance. You've changed for the better."

Anna looked away, feeling a little red. She hated it when people thought they had her all figured out. She hated it even more when they were right. "Thank you…"

"Don't mention it," Juniper replied. "Now, I think it's time for your reward. One Starter Pokemon, as promised." She gave a whistle. "Alright, guys, come on in."

Anna turned to see three small creatures walk hesitantly into the living room. An orange and black swine with tiny puffs of smoke poofing from his snout, a green snake-like creature with a condescending look, and a jolly-looking otter with a white face and a shell clenched in his tiny paws. "Meet Tepig, Snivy, and Oshawott," Juniper introduced, pointing to the pig, the snake, and the otter respectively. "The three Starter Pokemon approved by the Unovan Pokemon League."

Anna blinked. "I thought you said they were in your office…"

"Actually," Juniper chuckled, "I was just picking them up today at the Pokemon Center. I told you that I had them here earlier to see if you'd try to steal them at all. So," she said, looking down to the Starter Pokemon, "go ahead! Pick whichever one you want!"

Anna stared down at the trio of Pokemon. They stared right back at her, Tepig and Oshawott with eager eyes and Snivy with an uncaring look. To be honest, Anna had no idea which one to pick. She couldn't even remember her own starter Pokemon back in Kanto. What had it been…?

"Hesitant, are you?" Juniper chuckled. "It's a big choice, isn't it? It could really affect you in the Pokemon League."

Anna was at a loss. For everything she knew about business, she didn't have much knowledge involving Pokemon. She knew a few basic type-advantages and the like, but not much else.

Finally, she made her choice. Snivy seemed like a quiet sort. Maybe it wouldn't be such a hassle. "I chose that one," she said, pointing at the Grass Snake Pokemon. "The Smivee."

"That's Snivy," Juniper corrected, handing Anna Snivy's Pokeball.

"Sni…" Snivy gave an uncaring shrug, but Oshawott and Tepig seemed very disappointed.

"Don't worry," Juniper said. "More children will arrive for their starters soon. You'll be sure to get picked!

This perked the two remaining starters up. They nodded and cried eagerly with anticipation.

"Here." Juniper pulled a fresh Pokedex out from her pocket. "This is your Pokedex. You can use it to look up the data on any Pokemon native to Unova in a flash."

"Thank you," Anna said, genuinely grateful.

"Don't mention it," Juniper said, waving her hand dismissively. "Just doing my job. Now, you'd better get going if you want to reach Accumula Town again before dark.

Anna nodded. There would be a Pokemon Center in Accumula Town – a Pokemon Center with free bedding and food. Her stomach growled eagerly, having regained its vigor after the horrifying imagery and odors found inside Juniper's fridge.

She thanked Juniper again, gathered her things, and returned Snivy to its Pokeball (she hadn't bothered to check for its gender). That gone, she shouldered her purse and started walking.

About halfway out of Nuvema, she broke a heel. The rest of the trip would be barefoot until she found a new pair of shoes.

Regardless of the loss of her favorite shoes, Anna felt slightly happy. All she would have to do was train her Pokemon hard and she'd be making money again. Then, she could finally start Maruko Corp. again and live her old life – minus the abandoning her son, estranging herself from her loved ones, and losing it all in an embarrassing accidental association with the mafia of course.

Anna's journey had begun anew.

* * *

A warm feeling of nostalgia lifted the spirits of the companions as they traversed across the desert-covered Route 4, allowing them to ignore the burning heat of the sun and the stinging sandy wind.

It really was just like old times. Tony and Skyla, side by side, walking forever into the distance to achieve their lofty goals together. While the journey would be a hard one for sure, neither one could think of something that they'd rather do.

Memories, good and bad, began to resurface. It was here in the desert where they had first encountered Lady Numera during a botched attempt to off Professor Juniper. It was here also where Tony had first seen his mother in over nine years. It was here that Strike had evolved into a Whirlipede, and where Tony had first met Rock Candy.

As a few days went by, the sand gave way to grass. They arrived at old Nimbasa Town, the tiny sister to the bigger and brighter Nimbasa City. This was where Tony had confronted his would-be rival Karen Silph after she had stolen his Pokemon (they made up later), and where he had finally revealed the truth about his horrible past to Skyla, finally cementing their incredibly solid and powerful bond. Needless to say, it was a place that brought forth powerful emotions for the two humans.

Of course, with those emotions came doubts. This leg of the journey had been filled with long, long silences between the two friends. Their minds swam with confusing and conflicting thoughts, unable to piece together how they really felt about each other.

Aunt Sally and Anna's words still rang through Tony and Skyla's minds respectively, accusations of feelings and warnings against dating. It was a confusing time for both of them; neither had thought that they could possibly think of another human being as a significant other before.

They both had their doubts. After all, boys and girls could just be friends. Tony was friends with the slightly-ditzy trainer Bianca, and she was a girl. Skyla was friends with the Striaton Triplets, the Gym Leaders of Striaton City, and they were all guys. So what if Skyla had written so many nice things about Tony? Just because she was complimenting him doesn't mean that she liked him like… that. And so what if Tony had wanted to surprise Skyla by coming to Nimbasa City without her knowing? Friends did surprises for each other, too.

Well, if that was the case, then, why were they so quiet?

Tony didn't have the answer for that one. What if… what if he did have feelings for Skyla? Should he act on them? What if she didn't return them? I mean, he was shorter than she was, and younger than she was… Was it creepy for a boy to like an older girl? Was it acceptable in Unova? Could they really keep travelling together if she didn't? How awkward would that be?

Skyla was having similar conundrums. She had admitted that she thought Tony was handsome. Sure, he was handsome in a weird, childish sort of way, but she found it to be oddly charming. What if she told him and he didn't like her back? After all, she had been pretty obnoxious when they had first met with one another, bragging and boasting like a spoiled little girl… If she asked him, and he said no, could they still be friends…?

Neither had any answers. They stopped at the Pokemon Center in Old Nimbasa Town for the evening and spent the entire night wondering.

Well… Most of the night, anyways…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**X and Y is almost out… I can't stand the wait… Rrrgh…**

**Reader Question Time! What kind of Pokemon Trainer do you think you'll see at the Roulette Rumble? Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard **

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	38. Old Friends

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**After Professor Juniper tricked her into cleaning her laboratory, Anna Maruko earned her new Starter Pokemon, choosing the take the Grass-type Snivy. Meanwhile, Tony and Skyla arrived in Old Nimbasa Town, both deeply conflicted by the possible attraction for one another they are beginning to feel…**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Nimbasa City! Entertainment center of the entirety of Unova!

Well… it used to be, anyways.

Once the streets of this fair city had been crawling with hundreds of thousands of people and Pokemon, enjoying the sights and the plethora of entertainment. Now, the streets were nearly barren. The once prosperous shops were nearly empty, what customers they did attract not staying to browse. The neon lights that dotted each building were switched off, left dark and morose. Those were the lucky ones; some buildings were long-gone, replaced with piles of scorched timber and bricks.

The Team Plasma invasion had taken quite a toll on the unfortunate city.

Tony and Skyla walked down the eerily quiet streets, not passing a single Nimbasa citizen as they went down the road. Nimbasa City was full of memories for the two friends, both good and bad. The N1 Pokemon Tournament had been held here. In response, Team Plasma had launched a terrorist attack that led to millions of yen in property damage, as well as psychological scarring and forced Pokemon Liberations for those unfortunate trainers who got in their ways.

Tony looked over his shoulder, almost as if he expected a squad of Plasma Grunts to be trailing behind them. Of course, there was no one he could see – although was even more depressing. _I guess they haven't gotten over what happened yet… _he thought, shaking his head.

"Hey!" Skyla's voice brought Tony out of his brooding. "We'll be at the Nimbasa Gym really soon. Do you have a strategy in mind?"

Tony nodded. "Well, I was planning on using Rock Candy because she knows how to use Dig. I was also thinking of using Clover – I mean, if she doesn't try to bite me or something. She has a resistance…"

Skyla snorted. "It's going to take more than that to beat Elesa," she warned. "She's smarter than you'd think a model would be, especially when it comes to Pokemon."

"I figured as much," Tony conceded. "She is a Gym Leader, after all… Any tips?"

"Hah!" Skyla laughed. "I can't make things easy for you," she said, elbowing him gently in the rib. "You figured out the first four Pokemon Gyms all on your own, so you can win this battle on your own."

"I guess so," Tony said with a shrug. In the long run, Elesa was just another Gym Leader on the list. He'd beaten seven Gym Leader so far; he could handle one more. Probably.

Still… Skyla said that he would win…

Tony turned away so that Skyla didn't see his red cheeks.

Mercifully, any further conversation between the two was cut off by the distant whine of a police siren from behind them. As the two whirled about to see what was the matter, memories of that horrible invasion replaying in their minds, a man in a dark trench-coat, fedora, and sunglasses rudely pushed past them. He ran down the sidewalk and quickly made a beeline into an alleyway, vanishing from view almost instantly. The moment he was gone a police motorcycle drove past the two teens, its driver either in pursuit of another criminal or ignorant to the man who had hidden in the alley. Before either Tony or Skyla could say a word, the motorcycle was off into the distance.

Both teens instantly looked to the alley suspiciously. There was no way that that guy wasn't avoiding arrest. Skyla looked to Tony and nodded once. He returned the nod. They both slowly crept over to the alley…

The man poked his head out of the alley just in time to see Tony and Skyla approaching him. He tried to fall back but Skyla was faster, quickly grabbing him by the collar and yanking him out.

The man growled. "L-let me go!" he snapped, easily yanking away from Skyla. He stumbled back, only to bump right into Tony, tripping over his own two feet and falling on top of the blond. The two males fell to the concrete in a heap.

The taller male swore. "Watch it!" he snapped. His hat had fallen off, and his sunglasses were crooked. A familiar head of unkempt pink hair and a monotone glare quickly allowed both Tony and Skyla to recognize the fellow.

"Joseph?" Skyla asked.

"Joseph Joy?"

Joseph scowled. "Oh, it's you two again…" he muttered, standing up and not bothering to help Tony off the concrete.

One of the more colorful characters that Tony and Skyla had met in their travels, Joseph Joy was a part of the Joy Family. The Joys hailed from a long, long line of female Pokemon nurses and doctors, providing excellent care for trainers and their companions worldwide.

And then there was Joseph. Joseph's mother had expected her first and only child to be a girl, one who would carry on the proud family tradition with a cheery smile. What she got instead was a boy, a boy who she was bent on raising into a nurse, even if he would be the only male Nurse Joy in the history of mankind.

Naturally, Joseph did not have what it took to be a Nurse Joy. He was smart, yes, he knew his medical science, of course, and he could even fix the healing machines employed at most Pokemon Centers, even the older models. Unfortunately, he just didn't want to be the world's only male Nurse Joy – namely because he was regularly picked on for it. Even Tony and Skyla had little ability to control their laughter the first time they had come across the older teen. Despite his girlish hair color, however, they quickly learned that Joseph was a brilliant young man and a trainer to be reckoned with. Joseph had competed in the N1, losing in the second round to Skyla in a close match, had fought valiantly against Team Plasma when they had invaded, and even held his own against the Plasma Knight Lady Numera, albeit briefly. While he wasn't exactly Tony or Skyla's friend, they did respect him. Joseph respected them, too, but he'd never admit it.

Joseph didn't look to happy to see either of them. "What do you want?" he asked monotonously.

"To know why you were running, for starters," Tony replied as Skyla helped him off the pavement.

"None of your business."

"Well, then," Skyla said, "I guess we'll just have to assume the worst and call Officer Jenny."

Joseph rolled his eyes and sighed. "I don't want to go home," he said simply, as if that explained everything.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"The local Officer Jenny is a friend of my mom's…" Joseph gritted his teeth. "She sent her after me. Wants to bring me home and force me back to my sweatshop."

While a Pokemon Center could hardly be considered a "sweatshop," Tony did sympathize. "Oh. Sorry."

"Wait a minute," Skyla said. "Why are you so afraid of being caught? You have a Pokemon License and you're of legal age. Your mom has no legal control of you now."

"I know that," Joseph grunted. "Mom has a good lawyer, though. If there is a trial, it'll take forever, and I don't know about you two but attending a courtroom weekly is going to be a pain in the rear, and I'd really rather not waste any of my time."

"Oh," the other teens said in unison, nodding.

Joseph replaced his hat. "What are you doing back here?" he asked. "Haven't seen either of you in a while."

"My aunt wanted me to go back to Nuvema Town," Tony explained, "just for a little while so the police could round up the leftovers Plasmas."

"I've been staying with my friend Elesa," Skyla added, "training so that if another Plasma attack happens we'll be ready."

"What about you?" Tony asked. "Have you been in Nimbasa this whole time, too?"

Joseph nodded. "Yeah."

"Where've you been staying?" Skyla asked, knowing that Joseph probably wouldn't try to stay at a Pokemon Center; most Nurse Joys knew each other – heck, most Nurse Joys were actually related – so staying there would assuredly get him caught.

Joseph turned away. "Follow me," he said, walking off.

Tony and Skyla looked to each other. "Follow you where?" Tony asked.

"Oliver's place."

"Oh…" Both teens nodded eagerly and quickly followed after Joseph, keeping their eyes open for the police all the while.

* * *

One month ago, this had been an old, ugly, and yet somehow charming little building – until Team Plasma had attacked, that is.

The building had been a daycare center for Pokemon, owned by a wonderful elderly man by the name of Oliver. Unfortunately, daycare centers went against Team Plasma theology. During the attack on Nimbasa, a group had surrounded the center and torched it to the ground.

Tony shivered as he remembered that day. Not only had the daycare center been immolated, but his Pokemon had been inside when it had. Had Rock Candy not arrived to dig them out and save the day, the unfortunate Bug-types would have died in the smoke and flame.

However, the mood brightened when they saw that there was no carnage from the fire – in fact, a new Pokemon Daycare Center was standing peacefully in the spot of the old one. The old center had had an overgrown yard, untrimmed and wild. The walls had been covered in aged, peeling paint. The metal roof had been rusty and fragile. Now, however, the lawn was neatly mowed, the walls were covered in a fresh coat of white, and the roof was covered in brand new red shingles.

Tony gave an impressed whistle. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe this was just a pile of rubble a month ago."

"I can't believe it got fixed so fast," Skyla agreed.

Joseph shrugged. "Some big-shot tycoon took pity on us," he said simply. "Gave Oliver some funds to rebuild."

Speaking of Oliver, the rotund old man stepped outside his home and business at that very moment. He was just like Tony and Skyla remembered him: tanned skin, short, rotund, bald-as-a-bean and with a cheery smile on his face. He was wearing a jade shirt and a tan, paint-stained pair of jeans. He opened his mouth to great Joseph when he noticed Tony and Skyla again. A delighted smile crossed his face. "Mr. Miller! Ms. Fuuro! You're back!"

"Hello!" Tony and Skyla greeted happily.

"Ran into them on the way back from the grocery market," Joseph said, pulling a plastic bag from his jacket and handing it to Oliver. "Here's your meds."

"Joseph's staying with you?" Skyla asked, walking up to the old man.

"Yes, he is," Oliver answered cheerily. He looked the two teens up and down. "Oh, look at you two! You've grown so much since the last time I saw you!"

"B-but that was only a month ago," Tony replied.

"It felt longer," Oliver said. "Well? What are you standing around out here for? Come in, come in! Joseph, put the kettle on."

"Yeah, sure," Joseph replied, stepping inside the house.

"Come in, come in," Oliver repeated, leading Tony and Skyla. "I have a feeling we have a lot to talk about!"

Tony and Skyla smiled and nodded, following Oliver inside of his house. Both of them were unaware that they were being watched.

A tall man in a dark trench-coat (evidently a popular fashion item this year) gnashed his teeth as he watched Tony, Skyla, and Oliver vanish inside the daycare center.

Mystico yanked off his hat and threw it to the ground. "Darn it all!" he snapped. "Why do I keep running into that brat?!" He angrily smashed his foot down onto the hat. "And that pink guy totally stole my outfit…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I wonder when we'll learn that trench-coats aren't all that inconspicuous.**

**The day has finally arrived… _Pokemon X and Pokemon Y are now out!_ XD Can't wait to **

**Three new Mega Pokemon to boot! Mega Tyranitar, Mega Gengar, and Mega Aggron, as well as Mega freaking Pinsir, Mega Heracross, Mega... Jeez, this is awesome...**

**Reader Question Time! Which Mega Evolution is your favorite so far? Mine has to be Mega Pinsir! Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard **

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	39. Falling out

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and Skyla arrived back in Nimbasa City and met up with their old sort-of friend, Joseph, the world's only male Nurse Joy. Joseph led the two back to Mr. Oliver, another old friend and a caretaker at a Pokemon Daycare Center. While this all seemed well and good, neither of them noticed that they had been seen by Mystico, who is in Nimbasa City to steal the trophy for the Roulette Rumble!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Numera silently stroked her chin as she stared at the blank white computer screen. She took a deep breath and slowly moved her fingers to the keyboard. After making absolutely certain that no one else in the Nimbasa café was watching, she started to type.

Officer Jenny –

My name is Agatha Hickory. I was forced into service of Team Plasma under the pseudonym Lady Numera. When the Nimbasa City invasion failed I was attacked and left for dead. I am currently being held hostage by another Plasma by the name of Simon Silk (alias Sir Mystico). I have escaped his notice long enough to compose this letter. Please send help. We will both be at the Roulette Rumble Tournament in two days. I will be wearing a shirt with the words "I'm with stupid," and a blonde wig. Please send help. Silk is incredibly violent and mentally unstable. I can provide documents proving that I am innocent of all of Team Plasma's crimes as well.

Signed, Agatha Hickory.

She stared at the letter, scanning it for any mistakes. It was perfect – as where the other four drafts she had written, all of them conveying the same message.

Agatha's cursor slowly hovered over the send button. She was going to do it this time – really.

Her finger twitched over the mouse. It slowly pressed down… on the delete button.

Agatha's eyes bulged as another three minute email as deleted. Again. She had done it again. Why?!

If she hadn't been in public she would have smashed her fists on the polished table. Why was she so hesitant? This could very well be her last chance to escape from Nicolas's inane schemes with that legendary friend of his. This was a chance to create a new alias, to find a place to hide until she was certain Team Plasma was gone forever, then to patent her upgraded Hickory-Dex once more. This was her chance to escape from that fool Mystico!

So why, then, could she not send that email?

"Coffee?"

Nicolas the Hiker, wearing a ridiculously long brown wig and fake beard, sat down across from Numera, who was wearing a blonde wig, sunglasses, and a t-shirt that said "I'm with stupid," as she had said in her email. She had also applied lipstick to her lips, regretting it the instant she had. The disgusting grime made her mouth feel greasy, and it took all of her self-control not to wipe it off. How Mystico could wear such filth was beyond her.

Nicholas set down a tiny cardboard cup in front of the former Plasma. "Coffee?" he asked again.

Numera frowned. "Where have you been?" she asked.

"Here and there," Nicholas replied with a shrug.

Numera was hardly surprised, although she was irritated. "Fine, be as cryptic as you'd like," she retorted. "See if I care."

"I will, thank you. You seem frustrated – more than usual, I mean. Hohoho!" The hiker guffawed at his own joke before returning to his concerned tone. "Is anything wrong?"

"Aside from the usual? Nothing."

"Oh, so you weren't writing an email to Officer Jenny to try and sell you-know-who out."

Numera's reply died in her throat. She cast an icy glare at her benefactor, the meaning all too clear.

"Saw you typing it on my way inside," Nicholas said, smiling in spite of the situation. "Pro-tip: never write a private email when you have a window seat. Hohoho."

"It's none of your business," Numera replied drily.

"Oh, but it is." The humor vanished from Nicholas' voice. "You were trying to sell out your comrade for your own benefit," he accused.

"He is not my comrade," Numera retorted angrily. "He's an idiot who isn't worth my attention."

"He's your partner," Nicholas corrected. "You two need to help one another."

"Help?" Numera's temper and ego flared. "Why on earth would I ever need help from a… a…" She struggled to find the right words, words that were just nasty enough to describe Mystico. "A slimy, good-for-nothing, buffoonish, ugly, high-pitched, manic-depressive, fifth-grade dropout clown!" she snapped loudly, turning a few heads in the mostly unoccupied café.

Nicholas was hardly impressed with the outburst. "Is that how you really look at him?" he asked.

"That's what he is. It's a fact that I can prove. If I had the time, I could type an argumentative essay about why people like him should be _ostracized_ from society." Okay, that one was a bit harsh, even Numera had to admit, but Nicholas had started it…

Nicholas swallowed nervously. "Eherm…" he coughed, looking to the side. Numera slowly turned her head and winced.

Mystico was there, wearing his black trench-coat. In his shaking hand was a crushed cup of boiling coffee, sprinkling down to the clown's shoe like tears of caramel-mocha goodness. "Ostracized," Mystico repeated, his high-pitched voice cracking slightly.

Numera looked away. "It's not my fault," she said, "that you're an idiot."

"W-well, then," Mystico replied, "it's not my fault that you're a narcissistic, self-obsessed, whiny, prissy, selfish, know-it-all, little _brat_ who can't seem to keep any friends _whatsoever_!"

Numera stood up. "How dare-!?"

"Shut up!" Mystico shouted back. "Just shut up!"

"C-calm down," Nicholas whispered. "People are looking…"

"I've put up with you and your ego for years now!" the clown snapped, ignoring Nicholas' plea. "I've let you insult me, belittle me, and act outside of our theology for way too long now! And what do I get in return for my patience?! I get called ugly! A buffoon! A dropout!"

"Well," Numera shouted back, "you are a dropout!"

"Well," Mystico replied, "not all of us are lucky enough to have parents who will put us through school, you inconsiderate brat!" His voice broke that time, a loud shriek of rage ringing throughout the café.

"P-please…" Nicholas hissed.

"You know what your problem is?!" Mystico growled through gritted teeth, his shriek becoming a hiss, "you're just selfish. You get an expensive scholarship and a brilliant friend who takes you under her wing, and you throw them aside because your petty ego gets bruised! You get accepted into a crusade for the rights of all Pokemon and you complain and whine at every given opportunity because things aren't going your way!" He stepped towards the much smaller ex-Plasma, his black eyes wild. "Well, newsflash! Life isn't all about you, no matter what you think!"

Numera couldn't stop herself. The clown was yelling at her, screaming at her, his mental superior, and in a threatening tone. Instinct and logic both dictated that she had to defend herself, and so she did. She drew back her hand and brought it as hard as she could across Mystico's face.

A sound of flesh smacking against flesh rang throughout the café, followed by a shocked silence.

A red print was glowing on Mystico's pale face, a few droplets of blood oozing from his cheek from Numera's untrimmed fingernails. His entire body was shaking. A tear spilled from his eye.

Numera realized her mistake. She opened her mouth to… say something… Though not to apologize, of course; this was all Mystico's fault, after all.

…Would you believe that it was Nicholas' fault?

She never got a chance to say a word. Mystico's fist smashed right into her face. Numera gave a yelp, her southern-drawl escaping with the scream, as she stumbled back, tripping over her own two-feet and landing right on top of her table, crushing it as the landed on it. Sugar packets were scattered everywhere, floating in a river of spilled creamer and coffee that was spreading across the floor.

Numera's nose was oozing blood. Her stolen computer was smashed underneath her. Her eyes were wide with panic… and was that regret? No, it couldn't be…

Nobody said a word for a long, long time. Finally, it was Mystico who broke the silence: "I quit."

"W-w-wha…" Numera stuttered mindlessly.

"Simon," Nicholas said, "you can't…"

"_Don't call me Simon!_" Mystico shrieked, terrifying the portly man. "You don't know me! None of you do!" He turned around and stomped off. "You can win that stupid trophy from that stupid tournament all on your own, you hear!?"

"Simon…" Nicholas began.

"Shut up!" Mystico snapped. "Call the police on me if you want! Sic your Pokemon on me! I don't care! I'm done with being bullied around by people like you! Leave me alone…" He swung the café door open and then slammed it shut, the bell over the frame ringing wildly with the tremor.

Numera slowly rubbed her aching nose, fumbling with her other hand for a tissue that wasn't soaked with coffee. "He hit me…"

_And I don't really blame him…_ Nicholas thought, still rather shocked by the outburst.

"H-he actually hit me…" Numera stuttered, standing up.

Everyone in the café shuffled uncomfortably as they stared at the ex-Plasma, unsure of what to say. Sure, hitting a girl seemed pretty low, but Numera really had provoked that fight... and the things she had said were pretty hurtful.

"I'm going to call the police," the girl behind the counter said, running off to find a phone.

Nicholas sighed, rubbing his brow. Now they would have to stay longer and give their report as to what happened to Officer Jenny. Time to put their fake I.D.'s to the test.

"He hit me…" Numera repeated dumbly, still sitting on the table.

"Well," Nicholas said at last, "I certainly hope you're proud of yourself."

Numera stared dumbly at the hiker, who proceeded to explain: "Your poor attitude and lack of respect for your teammates has finally taken its toll. Now Simon's gone. We can't rely on his aid any longer, and he was an indispensable member of this team!"

Numera slowly stood up, her legs shaking wildly. "I… It's not…"

"And do you know what the worst part is?" Nicholas asked. "You won't get in trouble for it. The police will take one look at you and think you're the victim. The people in this café probably think you're the victim. What they don't know is that you are _both_ victims here. Well, fine. Be that way. I won't punish you. They won't punish you. You can punish yourself."

"I…" Numera growled, regaining her senses and clinging to what leverage she had left. "He punched me!" she shouted.

"After you belittled and slapped him," Nicholas replied.

"I only said what was true!" Numera shouted, arguing more with herself than with Nicholas.

Nicholas shook his head. "So did he."

Numera's reply died in her throat. She chose a seat, sat down, and waited in morose silence for the police to arrive.

* * *

"Meheheh? Meheh!"

"Not now, Cofagrigus, I'm not in the mode."

Mystico scowled darkly as he slumped into the park bench, Cofagrigus and Chandelure floating around their depressed trainer with concerned expressions.

"Dropout…" Mystico muttered darkly. "Just because she got to go to school, she thinks she's better than I am. Egotistical little…" He clenched his fist angrily.

"Mehheh…" Cofagrigus moaned in agreement, patting his trainer gently on the back and being careful not to utilize his Mummy ability.

Mystico stood up. "You know what? Forget about her!" he declared. "We've got bigger fish to fry. We can win that trophy all on our own – and we can do it fairly, too!" he added. "We're more than tough enough to beat some local tournament, right?" he asked his Pokemon.

"Meheh!"

"Lure!"

"And then," Mystico said, narrowing his eyes, "then we'll see just how smart she really is. When I have that trophy and she doesn't. Heh." He grinned fiercely. "Then we'll see who's the real idiot, Aggy. Then we'll see."

The true purpose of the mission was long forgotten to Mystico. All he wanted to do now was show up Numera – and he knew just the way he could do it. A plan quickly formed in his "idiotic" brain – a plan that would ensure confrontation at the Roulette Rumble.

And so, with Plasma Theology thrown to the wind, Mystico and his Ghost-types began to train.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well… that was a doozy. Will Mystico and Numera get back together? Will this fight weaken or strengthen what little bond that they have? Tune in again to find out!**

**Reader Question Time! Which Kalos Pokemon would you like to see in this story? Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard **

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	40. Return to the Daycare Center

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**The ex-Plasma Knights had a dramatic falling out! Sir Mystico and Lady Numera had a horrible argument at a Nimbasa café, started when Numera said some particularly hurtful things about her partner. Mystico decided to quit working with Numera and Nicholas and set off on his own to win the Roulette Rumble for the sole purpose of spiting Numera!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Mr. Oliver's house was nothing like Tony and Skyla remembered – thank goodness for that!

The once ugly walls, with peeling paint and signs of rot, were now replaced with new, sturdier walls, freshly painted with white. The odd, musky scent that hung in the air was replaced with the aroma of cleanliness and a pine air-freshener in the corner. The front office was neatly organized – albeit, it was well-kept because all of Oliver's documents and garbage had been destroyed in the fire, but still, it was neat.

Tony, Skyla, Oliver, and Joseph were in the center's tiny kitchen, Joseph brewing a pot of tea while the others crowded around the table, eagerly bringing each other up to date with the events.

As it turns out, Oliver had been quite lucky after the events of the Nimbasa Invasion. Martin Silph, a wealthy philanthropist and CEO of Silph Co., had generously donated a hefty sum to repair Oliver's home. Joseph had apparently saved Silph's daughter during the Plasma Invasion. Oliver didn't know much more than that, as whenever he brought it up it made Joseph turn red. Tony and Skyla understood it though, knowing full well what had happened, and couldn't help chuckling as Joseph's face turned red.

Of course, little had changed for Oliver's business. Regardless of his new estate, his daycare center was still very, very small in a city that tended to appreciate the big and grand more than the petite. Besides, many other daycare centers, all of which were bigger than his, had survived the invasion.

"Still," Oliver was explaining, "I've learned to count my blessings. I may not have much business, but I am old enough to retire and I have my home back and better than ever. That's more than I could hope for, really."

"I'm glad to hear it, Mr. Oliver," Tony replied with a smile, happy to see that his elderly friend's fate was looking brighter than before. "You're really lucky. A lot of other buildings still haven't been rebuilt."

Oliver nodded. "I know. Everyone's still afraid, I guess. That invasion was pretty terrifying." He shivered.

"Yeah, it was," Skyla said with a wince, trying to remember just how many times she had almost died that evening. Was it three or only two? Four maybe? "Nimbasa City hasn't been the same since that happened. The tourism industry's not looking too good around now."

"Not even Rondez Gardens?" Tony asked, surprised that the only amusement park in Unova wasn't pulling in customers anymore. Then again, Rondez Gardens was where he had learned the horrible secret about N's role as the Team Plasma King… and where N had left him trapped inside the Ferris Wheel, forcing him to actually climb down the four story wheel.

He shivered. Okay. He could see why people wouldn't want to come back.

Oliver smiled. "Well, enough about that," he said. "Nimbasa City will recover in no time, just wait and see! In the meantime, Tony, do you have Lancelot with you?"

Tony nodded, brightening up. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Lancelot, come on out," he said, pulling his Karrablast's Pokeball from his belt and popping it open. In a flash of red, the beetle-like Pokemon landed on the checkered kitchen floor, giving Oliver an uncharacteristically wide grin.

"Karra!" Lancelot greeted happily.

Oliver chuckled. "Good to see you too, Lancelot," he said. He looked to Tony. "How have things been for him?" he asked.

"Pretty good, I think." Tony looked to Lancelot, who gave a nod. "Yeah. We finished up some heavy training at Nuvema Town before we left to continue our journey. The only problem is that Lancelot hasn't gotten a chance to fight anyone yet since we've started."

"Karra," Lancelot agreed, folding his arms.

"Oh, that's too bad," Oliver sympathized, knowing that Lancelot loved training, battling, and physical labor in general. "Still, I'm glad to see him at the side of a trainer like yourself," he told Tony. "After what happened with Gwen…"

"K-karra…" Lancelot grunted unhappily. The mood darkened instantly at the mention of Oliver's granddaughter and Lancelot's first trainer Gwen. Gwen had been Oliver's sole heir, the one who had promised to uphold the family tradition of running their honorable, albeit dilapidated at the time, daycare center, with Lancelot by her side. The tiny beetle was very fond of helping Gwen out with just about any task, from running errands to washing dishes. The two formed a very powerful bond, a bond that no one thought could ever be broken.

Sadly, that was proven wrong. Gwen had begun listening to the words of Team Plasma preachers on the streets. She attended a few meetings, read a few brochures, and became convinced that she had actually enslaved Lancelot. She set the Karrablast free shortly thereafter, and joined up with Team Plasma just in time to take part in the botched attack on Nimbasa – in fact, it was she herself who led the arsonist to her grandfather's home and nearly got Tony's Pokemon, including Lancelot, killed. She was currently serving time in prison with a broken nose and several missing teeth – courtesy of an enraged Joseph Joy, who had exploded into an uncharacteristic fury of rage and emotion when he found the girl who was so wretched that she had nearly killed her own grandfather.

Needless to say, Gwen was quite a touchy subject.

Skyla was quick to change said subject. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, pulling out a Pokeball of her own. "Say hello to Archie!" she declared, opening the sphere and releasing her own Pokemon.

It was a tiny creature that looked like a cross between a bird and a reptile, its body covered in beautiful blue and yellow plumage and its head and feet coated with bright orange scales. Tiny fangs poked out from its mouth. It looked around the kitchen and gave a shy "Arch…"

"Oh, hey, Archen," Tony greeted in a friendly tone as he recognized Skyla's Fossil Pokemon. "How are you?" He reached down to the floor to pet the Early Bird Pokemon on the head.

"Arch!" Archie cried, leaping away from Tony's hand. He bolted underneath the table and leaped onto Skyla's leg, scuttling up to her lap to where he thought he would be safe.

"Don't be so shy, Archie," Skyla scolded, picking up the Rock/Flying-type like a mother would a baby. "You remember Mr. Oliver and Joseph, don't you? You were born in this very center with them watching," she cooed, patting Archie's head.

"A-arch…" Archie cocked his head to the side, trying to remember. That had been a month ago – back when he had first emerged from his egg. "Arch?"

"And this is Tony," Skyla continued, gesturing to said bug-catcher. "You remember him, right?"

Tony gave a friendly wave. "Hi," he said quietly, so as not to startle the creature again.

"Arch…" Archie chirped.

"He looks quite healthy," Oliver remarked.

"Yeah, I've been training with him an awful lot," Skyla explained. "He's really strong for such a little guy." She gave the baby a fond pat on the head.

"Really? Are you going to use him in the Roulette Rumble?" Tony asked.

"Oh, no way!" Skyla exclaimed. "Little Archie's tough, but not that tough. Isn't that right, little Archie?" she cooed, nuzzling her cheek against the Early Bird Pokemon's head.

"The Roulette what?" Joseph asked as he walked over to the table with a tray of steaming tea-cups on top before sitting down himself.

"The Roulette Rumble," Skyla explained as the Joy set the tray down on the table.

"It's a Pokemon Tournament that's coming to Nimbasa in a few days," Tony said. "Skyla and I got invited to join by the guy who runs it."

"Some vampirey-looking guy," Skyla continued.

"Vampirey-looking…?" Oliver snapped his fingers. "Oh. Do you mean Grimsley?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's the guy!" Skyla exclaimed. "Do you know him?"

"I know of him," Oliver replied. "He's an ex-con."

There was a brief silence. "A… what?" Tony asked at last.

"He used to be a criminal," Joseph said. He took a mug from a tray and gave it a sip.

"Oh…" Tony winced. When Auntie found out…

"What did he do?" Skyla asked.

"He was a con man," Oliver explained, "and a thief. He was notoriously slippery as well. No one in the police force could lay their hands on him."

"Some big-shot trainers came along and caught him," Joseph said, taking over for Joseph. "They sent him to prison. Five years later, he got out and went legit. Sent the folks who caught him gift-baskets and everything. He opened a casino here in Nimbasa."

"Oh, man…" Tony muttered. "I didn't know that…"

Skyla was equally upset. "I never heard about that happening," she said.

"It happened three years ago," said Joseph. "Maybe that's why."

"Oh." Tony nodded. "I still lived in Pallet Town in Kanto when it happened, then."

"I was still in Mistralton," Skyla said with a nod. "That makes sense." Both Pallet Town and Mistralton were tiny farming towns that were far from more civilized areas. The usual con man generally strikes in rich cities, not tiny agricultural communities, and especially not tiny agricultural communities that were across the ocean and in a country where said con man likely didn't speak the native dialect. No wonder they never heard of him.

Oliver cleared his throat. "Well," he said, "I don't know about any of you, but I think that it's important to give second chances. Sure, he used to be a criminal, but now he's reformed. In fact, I've heard he's befriended his original captors!"

"Really?" Tony and Skyla asked.

"Really," Oliver replied. "Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you two are entering. Who knows? Maybe a Pokemon Tournament will brighten up the mood in town."

Joseph snorted. "A Pokemon Tournament? Wasn't that supposed to be what started invasion?"

Oliver shrugged. "It's important," he declared, "that everyone knows that we don't have to be afraid anymore. Team Plasma is practically gone now! It's time to move on with our lives. I think a Pokemon Tournament is a wonderful idea."

Tony and Skyla nodded in agreement. "Right!" they said.

"What about you Joseph?" Skyla asked, turning to the Joy. "You were in the N1 – right before I kicked your butt that is. Are you going to join the Rumble?"

Joseph scowled. "Can't. Joining the N1's what let my mom know where I was. If I join the Rumble, the police will be waiting for me to win or lose. They'll arrest me the moment I leave."

"But… you didn't do anything illegal," Tony pointed out. "They can't keep you for long…"

"They'll try," Joseph deadpanned. "I'll just cheer for you two from here."

"You? Cheer?" Skyla asked skeptically. The only emotion she could remember Joseph ever showing was annoyance, something that did not help when it came to cheering.

"I can do it," Joseph replied.

"I'll cheer for you, too," Oliver offered. Now that was something Skyla could buy.

"Great!" Tony exclaimed, standing up. "But the tournament isn't for two days, and until then I have something to do. Lancelot, you ready?"

Lancelot nodded. "Karra!"

"Good. It's time to go!"

"Go?" Oliver asked. "Go where?"

Tony grinned. "Nimbasa City Gym. It's time for me to earn my next Gym Badge!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**You know, I just realized that we're about forty chapters into this new story and I've done next to nothing with Lancelot. Talk about injustice for my favorite of Tony's Pokemon. Time for that to change.**

**Reader Question Time! Do you have high hopes or low expectations for the upcoming X and Y episodes of the Pokemon anime? Do you think the show will improve or will it devolve? Answer after you review! :D**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard **

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	41. Prelude to an Electric Battle!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and Skyla met up with their old friends Patrick and Oliver in Nimbasa City, where they learned more about the Roulette Rumble and its proprietor Grimsley. That done, Tony and Skyla departed to the Nimbasa City Gym for Tony's fifth Gym Badge!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

"Augh! My eyes! My eyes!"

"Yeah, I know. Same thing happened to me first time she turned the lights on."

Nimbasa City had a philosophy about buildings: they had to be visible from orbit. While not all buildings followed said rule most did, and Elesa's Gym was no exception to the original Nimbasa Gym had been destroyed during the Team Plasma attack (an obvious choice, given the Plasmas' hatred for the Pokemon League), but had since then been rebuilt, bigger, better, and brighter than ever before.

The architecture was simple, merely a large rectangle. However, it was decked out with more lights than a Christmas tree, lime greens, bright violets, and gleaming yellows, a monument of radiance and electricity beaming brightly even in the late noon sun.

"Her electricity bill must be ridiculous…" Tony said.

"Oh, it's not," Skyla replied casually. "She uses her Electric Pokemon to power up the generator whenever it starts to run out."

"Convenient," Tony said with a nod. One has to wonder how the electric company kept in business given the ready availability of living breathing generators. Maybe they were run by Electric-types too.

"You ready?" Skyla asked, giving his arm a nudge.

Tony nodded. "Yeah."

"Then let's go!" Skyla ordered, grabbing him by the arm and leading him inside the glowing building and to his next Gym Battle.

* * *

"I was wondering when you two were going to show up."

The inside or the gym was the same as the outside. Neon covered everything, even the sides of the battlefield. The words "Nimbasa Gym" were emblazoned over the stands, which were made with plush seats, the kind found in movie theaters. Equally impressive was the arena itself: floor itself was made from some sort of strong transparent material, with a bright neon purple and yellow Pokeball flashing underneath it, making the arena itself glow brightly.

Elesa Kamitsure, Nimbasa City Gym Leader, supermodel extraordinaire, and best friend of Skyla, was waiting for them naturally, standing at the foot of the battlefield. She hadn't changed much since one month ago – but with a body like that, you didn't need to. Physically speaking, Elesa was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen before. Ivory skin without a single blemish, a slim form, thin but muscular limbs, perfectly-combed blond hair, and a stunning pair of electric-looking blue eyes that glowed in the light. Her outfit, consisting of a skin-tight combo of a black and yellow tank top and a black pair of skinny jeans, only complimented her beauty.

"I've been waiting for you," Elesa greeted Skyla with a smile. "What took you? I thought you were going to fetch your little friend and then be back in a flash."

Skyla shrugged. "Stuff came up," she replied casually, deciding to leave out how a chunk of that "stuff" had been life-threatening. "I would have flown back, but Tony's apparently afraid of heights."

Tony turned red. "Sorry."

"I see." Elesa smiled. "It's good to see you again."

"You saw me just the other day," Skyla replied.

"Not you," Elesa corrected, pointing to Tony. "I was talking about him. It's very nice to see you again," she told the bug-catcher. "Skyla looked awfully lonely without you around. Why, she never shut up about you…"

"S-shut up yourself," Skyla muttered.

"It's good to see you again too, ma'am," Tony replied with a bow. "How have you been?"

"Just fine," Elesa replied. "Skyla and I have been training very hard in preparation for another attack like last month's." She frowned in memory of that terrible day – and just how useless she had been against the Plasma Knight's onslaught. "That day…" she muttered, more to herself than to her guests, "I was beaten and humiliated and my city was put in danger because I couldn't stop the Plasmas. That won't happen again, not with all the training we've done."

Tony nodded. "I saw," he said. "Skyla was amazing when we had our rematch."

Skyla chuckled. "Well, I try," she said, always happy to receive a compliment.

"So, how many times has she beaten you?" Tony asked Elesa.

Skyla froze, that stupid grin still on her frightened face. Elesa just managed not to burst out laughing wildly. "Well," the Nimbasa Gym Leader began, "she's... heh… she's really improved."

Tony gave Skyla a surprised look. "You haven't beaten her?" he asked.

"Well, I do have a typing advantage," Elesa remarked. "Electric beats Flying."

"Not always…" Skyla murmured, folding her arms.

"Oh." Tony winced. "I, uh, really thought you had beaten her," he told Skyla. "I mean, you were so amazing the other day…"

"Well, I'm not amazing enough…" Skyla lamented.

"That's not true," Elesa scolded. "Skyla and I are equals in battle – but I do have an advantage that's quite difficult to get around."

Tony nodded. "Hey, buck up," he told Skyla, elbowing her arm. "You'll get her eventually."

"Why not 'get her' now?" Elesa asked thoughtfully.

"What?" the other two teens asked.

"I heard about your battle in the Nimbasa City Gym," Elesa explained with a smile. "You battled all three of the Striaton Brothers – and all at once, too, despite a clear disadvantage."

"I always thought you got swindled on that battle…" Skyla remarked.

"Why not reverse that this time?" Elesa asked. "I'm so confident in my ability as a Gym Leader, that I'll take the two of you on at once! How does that sound?"

"Really?" Tony asked. "Doesn't that sound a little unfair?"

Elesa snorted. "Please!" she scoffed. "If I can beat Skyla on my own, I'm sure I can beat you, too."

"Oh, is that right?" Skyla huffed.

"It is," Elesa replied with a smug smile.

"Fine!" Skyla said. "We'll take you on together! Come on, Tony!" she said, grabbing the bug-catcher by the arm.

"Uh… okay…" Tony said.

Elesa laughed as the two climbed to their platforms. If there was one thing she had learned from her years as Skyla's best friend, it was how to make her do just about anything she wanted. With her cute little friend by her side, she might actually stand a chance against the Nimbasa Gym Leader.

_Besides,_ Elesa thought, _I want to see just how well those two click together under stress…_

* * *

The referee, a stick-thin woman in a clingy red dress, loudly announced, "The Gym Battle between Tony Miller, Skyla Fuuro, and Elesa Kamitsure may now commence! The battle will be two against two on both sides with no substitutions!"

Both teams stood on opposite sides from one another, Elesa standing confidently on her platform while Tony and Skyla stood on their own, both feeling a little cramped. Three pairs of blue eyes locked with one another, narrow and ready for competition.

Elesa raised her hand and snapped her fingers. The dark ceiling burst into a myriad of brilliant light, shining down like multicolored stars. The battlefield shined right back at the stars, the Pokeball symbol lighting up like a birthday cake.

Tony covered his eyes. "Oww…"

Elesa cracked her knuckles before striking an elegant model pose. "As the Gym Leader," she declared, "I'll show you my Pokemon first. I need to make it somewhat challenging for myself."

"Never knew she was this egotistical," Tony muttered.

"You'd be surprised." Skyla nodded. "She's like this every time we battle…"

Elesa pulled out two gleaming Pokeballs and tossed them into the air. "Emolga, Zebstrika, to the spotlight!" she shouted.

The Pokeballs opened with a pair of flashes – again, Tony had to cover his eyes – and two Pokemon appeared, falling down to the battlefield. One landed on its powerful hooves and the other didn't land at all, gliding with ease over the plexiglass floor.

Seeing as how this was a Gym Battle, Tony decided to play it safe, whipping out his Pokedex and scanning the two Pokemon, starting with the large black and white striped equine creature, whose body flashed with surges of powerful electricity.

**"Zebstrika.**

**Classification: The Thunderbolt Pokemon.**

**Type: Electric.**

**Ability: Lightning Rod.**

**Description: The evolved form of Blitzle. This equine Electric-type gallops over hills and through valleys during fierce thunderstorms. Its body produces thousands of volts of electric power. It is popular amongst trainers as a mount, but it will electrocute anyone it deems unworthy of riding it.**

**Threat Level: Extremely high!"**

The second Pokemon was much smaller and pretty adorable to boot. Its squirrel-like body was covered with white and brown fur. It had two flaps of skin that connected its tiny arms to its tinier legs, allowing it to glide through the air. It had to tiny ears on tops of its round head, and its face had a wide smile and a cheerful disposition.

**"Emolga.**

**The Sky Squirrel Pokemon.**

**Type: Electric/Flying.**

**Ability: Static.**

**Description: This adorable Pokemon is popular amongst collectors. Emolga is a distant relative to the Pikachu line, and like their cousins they generate electricity in special cheek pouches. This species can glide using special flaps of skin on their arms.**

**Threat Level: Low. Just don't poke its cheeks."**

"Your turn!" Elesa called, her Pokemon tensing up and waiting for their unlucky opponents to send out their own Pokemon.

Skyla pulled a Pokeball from her belt. "Alright," she said, throwing the ball, "go, Swoobat!"

Her first Pokemon popped into the air, hovering across from Emolga. "Eeek…" the Bat Pokemon muttered nervously; her last few battles with Elesa's Pokemon hadn't ended well.

"Don't worry, girl!" Skyla encouraged her Pokemon. "We've got Tony on our side this time!"

Tony blushed. _She's really confident about this…_ he thought. _Can't let her down…_ He pulled out his own Pokeball and tossed it out. "Go, Rock Candy!"

Tony's choice joined Skyla's on the battlefield. The Dwebble slammed to the ground, raising her sharp claws and giving Zebstrika a cocky grin. "Dweeb!" she taunted.

Zebstrika whinnied. "Strika!" she growled, stamping her hooves on the ground.

"First attack's yours," Elesa offered, waving her hand.

Tony looked to Skyla. "Ready?"

"Always," Skyla replied, cracking her knuckles. "Let's take her down!"

Tony nodded. "Right! Let's go!"

The challengers shouted out their orders, and the battle began.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Good news, everybody! You can watch Pokemon: The Origin with English subtitles on YouTube! :D Be sure to check it out!**

**Reader Question Time! What do you think we'll be presented with in the Pokemon games? After all, we got a lot of great material in X and Y. What more can Game Freak give us? What was X and Y lacking? Answer after you review! :D**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard **

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	42. Tony and Skyla vs Elesa!

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and Skyla arrived at Nimbasa City Gym, where Tony challenged Skyla's friend Elesa to a Gym Battle. Skyla agreed, but invited Skyla to participate on Tony's side as well, stating that she was so confident in her abilities that she could take the two of them on at once. Facing down two of Elesa's strongest Pokemon and with a disadvantage on their side, will Tony and Skyla be able to pull off a win?**

**Find out now!**

* * *

Skyla, being the most impulsive, made the first move. "Swoobat, use Psybeam on Emolga!"

"Eeek!" Swoobat cried as she fired a beam of violet energy from her forehead and blasted it at the Air Squirrel Pokemon.

"Is that all?" Elesa asked. "Emolga, use Electro-Ball!"

"Emol!" Emolga laughed as she formed an orb of powerful voltage in her tiny paws and sent it flying with a whack of her tail. The ball sailed through the air and collided with the Psybeam, both attacks exploding harmlessly.

"Darn it!" Skyla cried.

"Now, Electro-Ball again!" Elesa ordered.

Emolga launched a second ball of power at Swoobat, who swiftly dodged the painful electrical attack. The Psychic/Flying-type looked pleadingly at her trainer for a sound strategy that didn't involve getting horrible electrocuted.

Skyla gritted her teeth. "Darn it…" she repeated. So began another humiliating defeat at the hands of Elesa and her Pokemon – and this time, Tony was here to see it happen.

Unfortunately, Tony was having trouble as well. Shortly after Skyla and Swoobat engaged Emolga he and Rock Candy had chosen to attack their target, Zebstrika. "Rock Candy! Use Dig!" the bug-catcher ordered.

"Dweeb!" Rock Candy cried, spinning her orange body around like a drill and slamming into the floor. However, instead of tunneling into the earth as she had expected, she found herself harmlessly scratching the transparent battlefield floor with her claws.

"D-dweeb!?" Rock Candy cried, mortified.

"It didn't work…" Tony muttered, surprised.

"Of course it didn't," Elesa replied. "That's not dirt or sand – it's six solid inches of plexiglass!"

"Oh, man…" Tony groaned. "That means we can't use Dig!" He snapped his fingers; there went his only type-advantage.

"That's sneaky, Elesa!" Skyla snapped at her friend. "You totally have this battlefield set up in your favor!"

The referee cleared her throat. "There's actually no rule in the Unova League Handbook that forbids the Gym Leader from decorating the battlefield as she pleases, so long as the battlefield is a thirty by sixty rectangle!" she declared.

Elesa shrugged. "Sorry. Looks like you'll just have to bedazzle me without digging! Speaking of bedazzling, Zebstrika, use Flash!"

"Strika!" Zebstrika whinnied. Her spiked main flashed bright yellow, exuding a blinding radiance. Emolga, being used to this sort of strategy, quickly covered her eyes. Rock Candy and Swoobat, on the other hand, were caught completely off-guard. The two screamed unhappily as the light burned their sensitive eyes, forcing them to shield their faces. Even Tony and Skyla had to wince at the radiant flash.

Fortunately, the light faded. Unfortunately, both Rock Candy and Swoobat were still dazed and Elesa was quick to take advantage of that. "Emolga, Electro-Ball them!" she ordered.

"Emol!" Emolga squeaked as she fired off two more balls of lightning. These ones were far more accurate and struck both dazed targets. Cries of pain and the sizzle of electricity filled the air as both Rock Candy and Swoobat were hit.

Elesa's electric eyes narrowed. _Time to finish this_, she thought. _And so soon, too. How disappointing._ "Zebstrika, Wild Charge on Swoobat!"

"Strika!" Zebstrika grunted as she charged the downed Bat Pokemon, electric power sparking and covering her entire body with an aura of lightning.

"Not good, not good!" Skyla cried, covering her face with her hands, desperately trying to think of something to do to save her friend from being knocked out.

"Rock Candy, get in front of Swoobat and use Protect!" Tony ordered, coming to the rescue.

Rock Candy gritted her tiny fangs as she put herself between the charging equine and the wounded Swoobat. The Dwebble's eyes still stung something fierce from the Flash attack – something she was going to make Zebstrika pay for. "Dweeb!" she growled, ducking into her shell and raising a force-field around herself.

Zebstrika whinnied angrily as she dug her hooves uselessly into the ground; she had been charging so fast that there was no way she could stop in time. She slammed against Rock Candy's barrier harmlessly, grunting as she did so.

"Not bad," Elesa admitted quietly. "Emolga, paralyze that Dwebble with Thunder Wave!"

"Emol!" The Air Squirrel Pokemon's body flashed brightly as she charged up an immobilizing jolt of electrical power, guaranteed to make the already slow Bug/Rock-type even slower than she already was. Grinning, the Electric/Flying-type glided over to her opponent, sparking with electricity.

Tony gritted his teeth. Rock Candy was menacing Zebstrika with her tiny orange pincers, not paying any attention to the approaching Emolga. There was no way she could dodge such a fast Electric-type attack.

A reassuring hand gripped his shoulder. "My turn to help you," Skyla said with a grin.

Tony returned the smile. "Go for it."

"Swoobat," Skyla said, turning her attention back to the battlefield, "use Psybeam on Emolga!"

"Eeek!" Swoobat cried, recovering from the Flash. She shot into the air to confront Emolga, Psychic energy radiating from her furry body. With an enraged cry, the Bat Pokemon blasted at Emolga with a beam of psychokinetic energy.

"Dodge it, Emolga!" Elesa ordered. "Zebstrika, use Spark on Swoobat!"

Emolga winced as she shot to the side, the beam lancing through the air where she had been, whilst Zebstrika took careful aim at Swoobat, energy coursing through her mane.

"Rock Candy, Slash!" Tony ordered, seeing the opening.

At that very moment, Zebstrika fired her attack, a sparking burst of lightning, at the wounded Swoobat. Suddenly, something very sharp and very painful sliced into her leg. With wide eyes, she fell to the ground, losing her concentration and missing her target completely. The Spark shot overhead and exploded in the air above Tony and Skyla's heads like fireworks.

"Great job, Rock Candy!" Tony congratulated his Pokemon.

"Dweeb!" Rock Candy said proudly, giving her wounded opponent a haughty grin.

Zebstrika growled as she pushed herself up, her wounded leg aching as she did so. "Strika…" she snarled fiercely.

"Now, hit them both with Rock Slide!" Tony ordered.

Rock Candy nodded, raising her claws into the air. The ground beneath her tiny feet began to tremble as rocks struggled to rip themselves from the earth below.

Elesa shook her head. "Six inches of plexiglass, remember?" she shouted.

Tony snapped his fingers. "Dang it," he muttered, "she's right. It'd take forever to pull rocks out from under there…"

"Not to mention it would make a mess of my battlefield," Elesa added sternly. "There's a lot of wiring under there, you know. It'd be really expensive to replace."

"So what?" Skyla asked. "We can beat you whether we can use Rock Slide or not!" She leaned over to Tony. "We, uh, can beat her, right?" she whispered.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, we can," he said confidently. "We just need to keep this up."

Elesa's face was neutral._ They might actually beat me, she thought, despite every disadvantage presented_. She gave a small smile. _Impressive. It's been a long time since I've had a challenge like this. I wonder how well he'd do on his own… Let's find out! _"Emolga, use Electro-Ball on Swoobat!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Skyla shouted. "Not again! Swoobat, counter with Psybeam!"

Both Flying-types shot at one another with attacks from their secondary types, and both attacks exploded against one another harmlessly. "Keep it up!" Skyla shouted. "Psybeam again!"

"Electro-Ball again!" Elesa countered.

Again, the two attacks collided and vanished. Skyla and Elesa locked eyes, glaring fiercely at one another with icy expressions.

Tony winced. _Hard to believe that they're best friends…_ he thought.

"Dweeb?" Rock Candy called, garnering her trainer's attention.

"S-sorry, girl," Tony replied. "Use Slash on Zebstrika again!"

"Zebstrika," Elesa said, hardly paying any attention to Tony, "counter with Double-Kick. Emolga, Iron Tail on Swoobat."

"Swoobat, Wing Attack on Emolga!" Skyla countered.

Again, the Pokemon shot at each other and were quickly caught in a microcosm of attacks and pain. Rock Candy slashed Zebstrika's side only to receive two hooves to her face as her rewards. Swoobat and Emolga slammed into one another, swinging and stabbing with their wings and tail respectively, using their limbs like swords as they dueled one another in the air.

Tony wiped a drop of sweat from his brow. He could tell that Rock Candy was beginning to get tired. He needed to wrap this up, and quickly. "Rock Candy," he called, "use Slash again!"

"That old trick again? Zebstrika, dodge and use Double-Kick!" Elesa countered.

Rock Candy's pincers slashed and missed the equine, who smashed her hooves into the Bug-type's face for her troubles. Transparent blood was beginning to trickle through the corner of Rock Candy's mouth, and her claws were shaking with weariness. She wiped her mouth and growled defiantly at the much larger Zebstrika, who was no better off. Her legs were both badly scratched and trembling with weakness, and her left eyes was partially swollen.

Swoobat wasn't in good condition either. Her body was slightly singed from the Electro-Ball attack, her periwinkle fur mildly blackened. Emolga was the only one present who was without a wound, but she was such a small Pokemon that Tony didn't doubt that she couldn't take much damage anyways. If Rock Candy had access to any of her Rock-type moves…

Wait… She did!

"Skyla!" Tony grabbed his friend by the arm and began whispering in her ear.

"Hey!" Elesa shouted. "Since when can you whisper to each other during a Gym Battle?! That's against the rules!"

"No it isn't," the referee called, her nose buried in the rule-book. "It says here that partners can whisper strategies during double battles!"

"You think that will work?" Skyla whispered to Tony.

"Yeah, I do," he whispered back.

"Does it say that I can't attack their Pokemon while they do?" Elesa asked.

"No, you're free to attack them," the referee asked.

"Good. Emolga, Electro-Ball, Zebstrika, Spark!"

Tony and Skyla turned just in time to order their Pokemon to dodge. "Swoobat!" Skyla shouted. "Dodge and then grab Rock Candy!"

"Eeek?" Swoobat asked, confused.

"We've got a plan! Just do it!" Skyla ordered.

Swoobat and Rock Candy nodded. Both Pokemon dodged their opponent's attacks as best they could before springing back into action. Swoobat swooped over and Rock Candy and yanked the Rock Inn Pokemon off the ground, lifting them both into the air.

Elesa's eyes widened, realizing what they were doing. "Get them with Electro-Ball!" she ordered. "We can shoot them both down at once!"

"Emol!" Emolga cried, shooting a ball of lightning at the duo.

"Rock Candy, Protect!" countered Tony. Rock Candy raised her force-field once again, easily deflecting Emolga's attack.

"Now, throw Rock Candy at Emolga!" Skyla ordered, clenching her fist.

"Eeek!" Swoobat grunted as she heaved the heavy Bug/Rock-type with her clawed legs, tossing her partner directly at the terrified Emolga.

"Emolga, dodge!" Elesa shouted.

"Rock Candy, Smack Down!" Tony ordered.

Rock Candy smirked as she pulled her legs, head, and pincers into her shell and plummeted towards the ground. Emolga desperately tried to dodge but was too slow to avoid the insectoid meteor. Rock Candy slammed into her shell-first and pushed the Electric/Flying-type to the ground. They hit the plexiglass floor with a heavy thud.

Rock Candy slowly pushed herself out from her shell again and crawled off of Emolga, smirking with satisfaction as she inspected her work. Emolga's eyes were squiggly and unfocused, and her mouth was hanging open with disbelief and weakness. She was done. "Dweeb!" Rock Candy laughed, raising her claws into the air.

"Emolga is unable to battle!" the referee shouted, gesturing to Tony's side. "One point for the challengers!"

"We did it!" Skyla cheered, jumping up and down.

"Good job, Rock Candy!" Tony congratulated proudly.

"It's not over yet," Elesa reminded them as she returned Emolga to the Sky Squirrel's Pokeball. "Zebstrika, we can still pull this off! Use Electro-Ball on the Dwebble!"

"Strika!" Zebstrika growled, turning to face Rock Candy with a sparking mane. Big mistake. As Zebstrika turned to face the Dwebble, whom her trainer viewed as the biggest threat, she had turned her back to Swoobat.

Skyla grinned. "Swoobat, payback time! Psybeam!"

"Eeek!"

Elesa's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. "No, Zebstrika! Dodge-!"

Her cry was in vain. As soon as it escaped from her lips, the beam hit Zebstrika in the back. There was an explosion of violet energy that quickly consumed the Electric-type, who cried out in pain and surprised. Elesa helpless gaped as her final and strongest Pokemon stumbled forward, slumping to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"Zebstrika is unable to battle! That means that the winners of this Gym Battle are Tony Miller and Skyla Fuuro!"

Tony and Skyla cheered for themselves and their Pokemon. Rock Candy and Swoobat chirped joyfully. Elesa humbly returned her Zebstrika, congratulating her Pokemon for their hard effort.

"We did it!" Skyla shouted happily; she had never beaten Elesa in a Pokemon Battle before. For whatever reason, she hugged Tony. For whatever reason, he didn't want the hug to end.

The Bolt Badge was finally his. He was another step closer to the Unova League Championship.

He returned the hug. Skyla blushed.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**The Bolt Badge is Tony's at last! Three badges to go before it's time to challenge the championship! Of course, it seems Tony's agenda may be delayed by the upcoming Roulette Rumble… and by Skyla, of course.**

**Reader Question Time! Now that we've gotten a good look at the lot of 'em, which Gen 6 Pokemon is/are your absolute favorite/favorites? Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard **

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	43. Skyla's Feelings

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and Skyla teamed up to battle Elesa Kamitsure, the elegant Gym Leader of Nimbasa City! Though the battle was hard and wrought with disadvantages, our heroes and their faithful Pokemon companions managed to secure a win against all the odds! **

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

"Well, I suppose you deserve this. Here it is – the Bolt Badge!"

Elesa held out a small piece of shining golden metal, shaped in the form of a lightning bolt, to Tony's waiting hand. The blond bug-catcher eagerly accepted the token of victory, and the feeling of pride and satisfaction that went along with it. Another Gym Leader had been defeated – he was now five-eighths of the way to the Unova League Championship! With a wide smile, he attatched the badge to the inside of his vest, along with his other hard-earned trophies: the Trio Badge from Striaton City, the Basic Badge from Nacrene City, the Insect Badge from Castelia City, and the Toxic Badge from Virbank City.

"Here," Elesa added, handing Tony his second prize: a small yellow disk. "It's a TM for the move Volt Switch. If you use this on an Electric-type Pokemon, they can learn the move."

"Well, I don't have any Electric-types yet, but thanks!" Tony said happily, taking the disk as well.

Skyla slapped her friend on the back. "Great job!" she said with a grin.

"You too," Tony replied. "Thanks, Skyla – I couldn't have done it without you."

Skyla blushed. "N-now I don't know about that…"

Elesa smiled and reached into her pocket for another Bolt Badge, handing this one to Skyla. "I suppose you deserve one, too," she told her friend. "After all, you did work hard for it. Congratulations – you finally beat me."

Skyla shook her head. "Nah, keep it. I don't need a Gym Badge to know that I'm the best."

"The best at what?" Elesa's voice took a teasing tone. "Winning with your boyfriend's help?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Skyla shouted while Tony turned bright red.

"Yes, of course," Elesa said dismissively, though she was hardly convinced. "So, where are you two headed next?"

"We're sticking around," Tony said, eager to change the subject, "to train in Nimbasa for the Roulette Rumble – you know, that tournament that's coming out?"

Elesa nodded. "I heard about the Rumble, yes. Eager to redeem yourself after the N1, are you?" she asked.

"Well, it'd be nice to at least get through the tournament without Team Plasma sabotaging it, yeah," Tony said with a nod. "Besides, it'll be good experience for my Pokemon."

"You too?" Elesa asked Skyla.

"Yup," Skyla said with a nod. "How about you?"

Elesa shook her head. "Sorry, I can't. I have a fashion show on the same day that I need to prepare for."

"Oh. Too bad," Skyla said.

"Indeed – but that's a price that one must pay for fame," Elesa said with a shrug. "In fact… Skyla, would you mind helping me today? I have a few outfits that I'll be wearing for the show and I'd like a second opinion on them."

"Oh, sure," said Skyla with a nod. "Mind if Tony sticks around, too?"

Elesa scoffed. "While a lady is changing and trying on different outfits? Skyla! I'm surprised you'd even consider that."

Tony let out a breath of relief. There were few things more taxing for a male of any age than waiting while women tried on clothes. "If it's all the same to use, Skyla," he said, "I'll just wait for you at the daycare center with Mr. Oliver and Joseph. We can meet up at the Pokemon Center for dinner when we're done."

Skyla nodded. "Good plan. See you later, then!"

"Bye!" Tony said, walking off. "See you at dinner!"

With his new badge at hand and a tinge of red on his face, Tony departed the Gym.

He had to speak to Mr. Oliver.

* * *

Elesa's dressing room was as chaotic as always.

Piles of dresses, swimsuits, jeans, shirts, and skirts sat neglected on the plush red carpet, strewn about wildly and without reason. Elesa called it "organized chaos" and said it got the creative juices a-flowing. Skyla, on the other hand, knew that Elesa was a fashion _model_ and not a fashion _designer_ (Elesa couldn't even draw a good stick figure, for Pete's sake). Elesa, as far as the redhead was concerned, was just making excuses as to why she never cleaned up.

Still, being Elesa's best friend and biggest supporter, Skyla sat patiently and comfortably in a pile of unworn clothing, the soft silk and fabrics making for a plush seat. Elesa was behind a simple blue curtain, tossing her usual clothing over the side while she changed into her first choice for the fashion show.

"So," Elesa called from behind the curtain. "When are you going to ask him?

Skyla raised an eyebrow. "Ask who?"

"Ask Tony."

"Ask Tony what?"

"Ask Tony on a date."

Skyla growled. "This again?!"

"It's not like you're being subtle, Skyla," Elesa commented, tossing her pants over the curtain.

"I'm not trying to be subtle… I don't need to be subtle!" Skyla protested. "There is nothing going on between us!"

"Why not?"

"Because…" Skyla winced and froze. "Uh… Because he's…"

"Short?"

"He's not that short… and just because he's short doesn't mean he's not…"

"Handsome?"

"He's… S-stop putting words in my mouth!"

Elesa poked just her head out from behind the curtain, still indecent. "Why are you even bothering to deny it?" she asked curiously. "Is he just a friend, then?"

"Yes, he's just a friend," Skyla grumbled.

"A very close friend, then," Elesa commented. "How long have you two travelled together?"

"At least… seven or eight months," Skyla replied. "Why?"

Elesa retreated back behind the curtain. "Eight months of travelling together with almost no other human company?" she asked. "I'd say that that's more than enough time to develop an attraction."

"I don't have a…" Skyla began.

Elesa chuckled haughtily. "Of course you don't," she said sarcastically. "You two are just friends."

"Exactly. You finally got it."

"Which means you wouldn't mind it if he started dating someone else, right?"

"Of course… Why?"

"Well… I've been feeling rather lonely lately… and there's just something about optimistic bug-catchers that I find endearing…"

Skyla's face turned bright red – with rage. "You wouldn't dare!" she snarled.

"Aha!" Elesa laughed. She poked a hand out from behind the curtain, giving Skyla an accusatory gesture. "You would be unhappy if he were to date another woman!"

Skyla's reply died in her throat. "I…"

"Admit it," Elesa ordered, "now. You're interested in Tony, aren't you?"

"I…" Skyla babbled.

"Admit it!"

Skyla gritted her teeth. "F-fine!" she snapped, her face completely red with humiliation and anger. "I have a thing for Tony! You happy now?!"

"Ecstatic," Elesa giggled quietly.

Skyla groaned as she slumped into the clothes pile. "Just don't tell anyone about it, okay?" she muttered. "Especially Tony."

Elesa poked her head out again. "Why not?" she asked, confused. "Be honest. Lying will get you nowhere with me."

"What if…" Skyla looked away. "What if he doesn't… feel the same way? I mean… imagine how stupid I'd look, confessing to him and getting rejected… I don't know if I could deal with that sort of thing. It could ruin our friendship and everything…"

"Skyla… come here."

"Huh?"

Elesa poked her hand out and gestured for Skyla to come closer. "Come here."

"Why?"

"Because I want to comfort you and I'm still in my underwear. Come here!"

Skyla rolled her eyes and stood up. "Fine, fine," she muttered, walking over to her friend.

Elesa put her hand on Skyla's shoulder, keeping the rest of herself concealed behind the curtain. "Skyla," she said, "if Tony actually had the gall to reject a girl like you he'd be an absolute buffoon, unworthy of your tears. You are a confident, beautiful, optimistic, and wonderful girl who I am honored to have as my best friend."

Skyla blushed. "G-go on…" she said, sheepishly.

"Yes, there is the risk that he may very well reject you," Elesa admitted. "But do you really want to hide your feelings away? Do you really want to bottle them up and just hope they disappear? Do you want to grow old alone and one day, when you're sitting in your rocking chair all by yourself, think about all the magnificent things you could have done with him, about all the love you could have shared together?"

Skyla's voice was shaky. "No… No, I don't. I… I want to spend more time with him."

"How much more time?" Elesa asked. "Be honest."

"Forever…" Skyla swallowed. "I… I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

Elesa smiled warmly. "Then go and do that. Tell him. Ask him out on a date. Wisk him into a world of romance and wonder, and one day, in the future, you'll be sitting in that rocking chair with him by your side, staring out into your front yard where your wonderful grandchildren will be laughing and playing and-!"

"Okay, okay!" Skyla raised her hands. "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves yet, alright?" She sighed. "I do want to date him… but I don't know how to ask."

Elesa shrugged. "Neither do I," she admitted.

Skyla scowled. "Well, here I thought you hand the answers to everything."

"Nobody's perfect, albeit I am close," Elesa chuckled. "All I know is, you have to ask him soon."

"Okay, why?" Skyla asked.

"If a boy who looks like that is sweet enough to make a girl who looks like you fall for him…" Elesa chuckled. "Well, let's just say if you don't make a move, he's going to get snatched up before you know it."

"You would know," Skyla remarked drily.

"I was kidding about that!" Elesa laughed. "Tony's sweet but he's not my type. I think I'd prefer a man with class and charisma… an artist maybe."

Skyla rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "Thanks, Elesa. You've been a big help."

"So you're going to ask him, then?" Elesa asked.

"Yeah."

"Tonight."

"N-nobody said anything about tonight!" Skyla snapped.

Elesa retreated her hand back behind the curtain. "There are an awful lot of lonely girls in Nimbasa…" she hummed.

Skyla gritted her teeth. "Okay, okay, fine! I'll ask him tonight… but if he says no, I'm coming for you!"

Elesa chuckled. "By all means. Now, tell me…" She threw aside the curtain and revealed her new outfit. "What do you think?" she asked, striking a pose.

Skyla nearly fell over. A grin quickly spread across her face and she burst out laughing. Elesa was dressed in a yellow and blue tank-top and miniskirt. Her hair was black now (somehow) and she had a ridiculously huge fuzzy boa wrapped around her neck that hung down to her bare legs.

"W-what's so funny?" Elesa asked, faltering in her pose.

"Y-you!" Skyla fell down to the floor, clenching her stomach. "Y-you look like the freak hybrid of Cleopatra and Cruella de Ville!" She burst out into a fit of hysterics, rolling about the floor wildly.

Elesa blushed. "I think I look fantastic, thank you very much," she huffed, pretending to be offended. In reality, she was glad that Skyla had given her an honest opinion – most of Elesa's staff would have lied and said that she looked good in anything.

"H-hey, you told me to be honest!" Skyla chuckled. She wiped a tear from her eye and slowly rose from the floor, her knees still shaking. "Whew… Thanks, Elesa, I needed that."

Elesa smiled. Well, at least she had accomplished something. "You're welcome. You know what? I think the rest of my outfits are fine. Why don't you go and find Tony."

Skyla nodded. "I, uh, I guess I will. See you tomorrow?"

"Certainly."

Skyla slowly left the room, still chuckling at Elesa's outfit but nervous about approaching Tony as well. The moment she was gone, Elesa looked to the mirror and struck another pose, this time going for the innocent look.

Elesa smirked. "Heh. Skyla has no sense of fashion. I think I look brilliant! Huh… maybe I should wear this more often…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Show of hands: how many of you thought Elesa's costume in B2W2 looked incredibly silly? Be honest!**

**Skyla's off to confront Tony at last! Will the two get together or will the jerk author ruin everything? Find out next time on Unova Grand Tour!**

**Reader Question Time! Which Gym Leader do you think has the absolute best design in the Pokemon games? Answer after you review! **

* * *

**Tony's Party:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede **

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard **

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy**


	44. Tony's Feelings

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony and Skyla beat Elesa in a Gym Battle and won the Bolt Badge! Tony went off to give his friends Oliver and Joseph the good news while Skyla stayed to help Elesa prepare for an upcoming fashion show. In the dressing room, Elesa confronted Skyla about her feelings for Tony and finally made her friend admit that she harbored romantic thoughts for the bug-catching blond. With her best friend's encouragement, Skyla finally decided that she had to tell Tony how she felt and ran off to find him!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

"Mr. Oliver? Mr. Oliver are you here?"

Tony shut the door of the daycare center behind him and stepped inside, calling for the elderly caretaker once more. "Mr. Oliver? Are you here?"

"He's out on a walk." Joseph's monotone surprised Tony, who jumped and turned to face the male Joy, who was sitting behind the front desk, leaning back in his chair with his bare feet up. "What do you need?" he asked Tony in a bored tone.

"I need to speak to Mr. Oliver," Tony said. "It's important. Like, really, really important."

"About what?" Joseph asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know…" Tony looked away. "Man stuff."

"Oh. So I'm not a man, then. I see." Joseph scowled.

"T-that's not what I meant!" Tony said frantically, raising his hands. "Really! It's just that Mr. Oliver…"

"Doesn't have pink hair," Joseph finished for him.

"No!" Tony groaned. Had Joseph always been this easy to offend? "He has more experience, that's all…"

"Experience with what?" Joseph asked.

"…Relationships…"

"What kind of relationships?"

"…Boy and girl relationships…" Tony looked away, bright red.

Joseph pulled his feet down and sat up. "Didn't you dad ever tell you about this crud?" he asked with a sigh.

"No. He left my mom before I was even born," Tony replied. "At least, that's what she always told me."

"Heh." Joseph stood up. "Consider yourself lucky. My dad waited till I was thirteen to drop my mom."

Tony nodded once in understanding. "Sorry," he said, knowing what it was like to be abandoned. He wasn't sure why he should consider himself "lucky" though…

"Come on," Joseph ordered, walking past Tony towards the dining room.

"Huh?"

"Come on," Joseph repeated. "We're gonna talk about man stuff."

"Oh. Uh, that's okay, I'll just…" Tony began.

"Come on," Joseph said again. "You brought this up so we're going to talk about it." He grabbed Tony's arm and pulled him to the kitchen, the bug-catcher following him, albeit reluctantly.

Tony sat down in one of the plastic chairs while Joseph got a can of something – Tony thought it might be soda – from the fridge. The Joy set it down on the table and popped it open. Tony winced; it was a can of beer.

Joseph sat down and took a large gulp before Tony could say a thing. When he finished the swallow he set the drink down. "I'm gonna need that," he said simply.

"Are you allowed to drink that?" Tony asked. He was fairly sure that Joseph wasn't twenty-one.

Joseph changed the subject. "Alright, man stuff. You want to know all about the ladies, right?"

Tony reluctantly nodded, unsure if Joseph would make a good mentor for this sort of thing. "Uh… yeah."

"Alright, I know this is gonna sound really gross, but bear with me here." Joseph took a deep breath. "Alright…" he began. "When a man and a woman love each other very much…"

"N-no!" Tony stood up, shaking his head. "No! I know about that!"

Joseph stared. "The heck did you need me for, then?" he asked.

"I need to learn about…" Tony looked away. "I… I want to know… what is love?"

Joseph stared. Then he grabbed his beer and took a long, long swallow. When he was done he looked at Tony and said, "What is love."

"Yeah…" Tony sat back down, bright red. "How do you know when you're really… interested in a girl?"

"…Is this about Skyla?"

"N-no."

"You want my help?"

"Uh… Yes…"

"Then you better give me the truth."

Tony sighed. "Yes, it's about Skyla…" he admitted.

"Figured." Joseph gave Tony a dry grin. "You think you might be interested in her."

"Yeah…"

Joseph leaned back. "Kid," he sighed, "do I look like I've ever had a girlfriend?"

Tony didn't answer; he had a feeling that no matter what he said he would end up offending his potential mentor.

"Well, I haven't," Joseph said, sitting up and putting his arms on the table. "Because of my job and my hair."

_Your attitude isn't much help either,_ Tony thought.

"I don't know much about romance," Joseph went on. "Dad and ma were never all that close – I can't remember my dad ever bringing her a present. Ma isn't innocent either – every night dad came home from work she'd nag him until they went to bed. Sometimes dad just took it. Sometimes he argued back. It wasn't pretty."

Tony's frown deepened. "Oh."

"I chased a few skirts," Joseph admitted. "But never caught any. Never even caught a pair of jeans."

_What does that even mean!?_ Tony thought; he was unaware that that had been an attempt at humor.

"My point is," Joseph finished, "I'm not the best person to tell you how to bag a girl."

_Obviously,_ thought Tony.

Joseph took another swig of beer; Tony thought he might be drunk, or at the very least getting there. "So, here's my first bit of advice," Joseph said suddenly. "If you aren't really committed to a relationship… if you're chasing Skyla just because she's hot… then get the heck away from me and away from Skyla. That's what happened with my parents – they got hitched because they were pretty, and that was all they had in common."

"I wouldn't do that!" Tony said. "Skyla's my friend!"

Joseph nodded. "Good. You're gonna tell her, then."

"I… I don't know…" Tony stuttered.

"Why not?" Joseph asked.

"Well… She's… well…"

"Hot?"

"Beautiful," Tony corrected, surprising both of them with the bitter tone; seems he was already becoming protective of Skyla. "She's beautiful. Gorgeous even. And I'm…"

"Runty?"

"I was going to say 'short,'" Tony said with a nod, "but yeah, pretty much. She's two years older than I am, too. Not to mention the fact that she was the Gym Leader of Mistralton City – a Gym Leader! – and I'm just some weird nobody danger-magnet bug-catcher from Pallet Town."

"So you think she's out of your league," Joseph deduced.

"Yeah. She's… amazing. And I'm just… well, me. I mean… She could have any other guy."

Joseph nodded. "Big-shot action hero guys with bulging muscles."

Tony nodded back. "On a majestic white Rapidash, too," he added.

Joseph snorted. "Women!"

"I'm just trying to be realistic," Tony explained. "I mean, she's amazing. She's confident, she's pretty, she's funny, she's loyal, she's great with Pokemon, she's adventurous, she's fun-loving…"

"She's cocky."

"What?"

Joseph nodded. "She's pretty cocky. Overly confident."

Tony scoffed. "Well she has good reason to be!" he retorted.

Joseph smirked. "Right."

"She should date, like, an ace trainer or another Gym Leader or something like that," Tony concluded. "I'm…"

"Hey." Joseph slammed his hand onto the table, shutting Tony up. "How many badges do you have?"

"Uh… Five."

"You've come a long way, then," Joseph declared. "Nobody is born an ace or a Gym Leader. Not even Skyla. You gotta work your way up… and you're getting there, kid. You're getting there."

"T-thanks," Tony said gratefully.

"Don't mention it," said Joseph with a shrug. "Point is, you two are really close friends. If you want to try and go beyond that then, hey, go ahead."

"But what if she says no?" Tony asked, his nervousness returning tenfold. "I mean… could we still be friends and travel together with that between us?"

"Don't know," Joseph replied. "Like I said, I don't know much about romance."

Tony sighed. "Well," he said, "that's comforting."

Joseph took another swig. "You want to know what my dad told me once?" he asked, wiping his mouth. "He told me that life is full of risks. Every decision, every choice that we make is another risk. You went off on your Pokemon Journey to be the best like no one ever was and all that crud. You took a risk. Who's to say that you didn't accidently break your leg when you got out into the wild? That could have happened – that was a risk.

"But you still went on that journey, didn't you? Yeah, you did. When I ran away from home I risked all sorts of crud happening – I could've been picked up by the police the moment I stepped outside Castelia. Did I do it anyway? Yeah, I did. Sure, I've been stuck here for a month now, but I'm in the home of a great man who's taken care of me despite the fact that I smell like cheap booze and have pink hair."

Joseph stood up again. He tossed his empty beer can into the trash. "Life's full of risks," he said again. "Are you going to take them? Or are you going to hide all your life?" Tony didn't respond, so he said, "Well?"

"You're… you're right," Tony said at last. "I… I can't just ignore this… I need to at least tell her how I feel." He slowly smiled, albeit with a hint of nervousness. "Thanks, Joseph," he told the Joy.

"Don't thank me." Joseph sat back down. "Thank my dad. That's what he told me the day he left mom, so make of it what you will. It was a risk and he took it."

"Oh. So, uh, what happened to him?" Tony asked.

Joseph smiled grimly. "If he behaves himself, he'll be back on the streets in about two years."

Tony groaned. His palm found his face. "Oh, that's really encouraging now…"

"Just don't be a loser like him and you'll be fine," Joseph said with a shrug. "Be cool. Be smooth. Just say what you want to say without any of that stupid-sounding stuttering or any crud like that." He paused and then added, "And don't compliment her butt."

Tony face-palmed again. "Oh, come on! Even I know that!"

"Well, if you know it then why are you here wasting time?" Joseph asked. "Get out of here and take care of business! Sweep her off her feet or whatever!"

Tony slowly nodded. "I… I will!" he said. "Even if she says no… she'll at least know how I feel!" He turned back to the Joy. "Thanks, Joseph. You're better at this romance stuff than you think!" And with that, he left the room and made his way to the door.

"If you meet any pretty single chicks let them know that!" Joseph called as Tony left. The door slammed shut in response.

Joseph leaned back, arms behind his head. "Well, dad," he muttered, "looks like you're good for something after all."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Wow, Joseph that was almost kind of nice of you. Keep it up. **

**Reader Question Time! If Tony and Skyla start dating, where do you think they should go for their first date? Answer after you review!**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy **


	45. The Big Question

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**After defeating Elesa and winning his Bolt Badge, Tony finally confronted his feelings for his friend and former Mistralton Gym Leader Skyla Fuuro. Tony's sort-of friend Joseph Joy gave him some romantic advice and ordered him to man up and tell Skyla how he felt. Tony obeyed and set out to find Skyla and tell her how he feels!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

Tony shut the door behind him and broke into a run. He froze the moment he saw her.

Skyla was there, standing not ten feet away from him. She had just set foot onto the walkway to Oliver's house, freezing the moment she realized Tony was there.

Blue eyes met blue and silence fell. Absolute silence. Neither one opened their mouth. Neither of them made a sound.

All of the courage, all of the determination that the two had felt, their desire to confess their feelings to one another, all of it vanished in an instant. Tony turned pale. Skyla turned pale. Their mouths opened and then clamped shut again.

It's kind of funny, really. For all of the confidence that they had both shown mere moments before, they were now completely frozen in fear.

_What do I do?!_ Tony thought, petrified. _What do I do?! What do I say!?_

_Why is he looking at me like that?_ Skyla thought. _Oh my gosh, do I have something on my face? Oh no, I've got something on my face, don't I?!_

"Ah, you're both back!" Oliver walked past Skyla, finishing his daily stroll with a wide smile on his face. "How did your Gym Battle go?"

Neither one said a word.

"Oh, okay." Oliver nodded, as if they had responded. "Good, good. I'm going in to whip up some dinner. If you're hungry, feel free to join us!" And with that, he whistled a merry tune and walked past the two teens, heading back into his house.

The door shut behind him and then there was silence once more.

_W-what do I do? What was I going to do? I don't have a plan! _Tony thought unhappily. _Think! Say something!_

_What do I do?! _Skyla turned bright red, shaking all over. _This is all Elesa's fault! _

The door swung open again. With an angry growl, Joseph stalked outside directly behind Tony. He pulled back his leg and let it swing right into Tony's rear-end. The bug-catcher's eyes bulged as he stumbled forward, crying out.

"J-Joseph!?" Skyla finally regained enough of her wit to defend Tony. "Why did you…!?"

"Do it!" Joseph roared at Tony, showing more emotion than had ever been seen before by both Tony and Skyla. And with that, he slammed the door shut, leaving them alone once more.

"Oww…" Tony muttered with a wince.

"A-are you okay?" Skyla asked, concerned.

"I-I'm fine," Tony replied. In all honesty, he wasn't. It would be days before he would be able to walk normally again.

"W-what's with him!?" Skyla demanded, her concern changing to anger. "Who the heck does he think he is, going around and kicking people like that?!"

"I-it's nothing," Tony replied, "just something we were talking about while you were gone…"

"Oh… Well, he didn't have to kick you," said Skyla.

"Yeah, right," Tony agreed.

The silence fell again. Tony heard the doorknob turn again and leaped away from the front door to avoid another kick in the pants. "U-uh, Skyla?" he stuttered.

"Yes?" Skyla asked.

"Do… do you want to go out to dinner with me?" Tony asked.

Skyla stared at the bug-catcher blankly. "D-dinner?"

Tony swallowed. "Yeah, dinner," he confirmed. "You know… uh, just the two of us. Alone. Without our Pokemon. At a nice restaurant."

"Like a…" Skyla swallowed. "Date?"

"Uh… yeah… I mean, if you want it to be a date, that's fine, but if you don't…" babbled Tony.

"N-no," Skyla interrupted. "I mean, uh… What I meant was… Ugh!" She stamped her foot, took a deep breath, and said, "Yes, Tony, I'd lo… I'd like to go on a date with you."

"R-really?" Tony asked.

"Really," Skyla said with a nod.

"Oh… Eheh…" Tony rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh… how does, uh, six sound?"

"Six sounds good," Skyla replied. "I'll, uh, meet you here at six. Yeah."

"Sounds good," Tony said with a nod.

Silence fell again. The doorknob jiggled again.

"Uh, I've got to go and… get ready," Skyla said, backing away. "See you at six!" And with that, she ran off with wide eyes and something between nervous terror and girlish glee written on her face.

Tony stared after her as she vanished into the Nimbasa streets once more. Sweat trickled down his brow. His legs began to shake wildly.

A slow, silly smiled crossed his face. With a triumphant cry he leaped into the air and clicked his heels. "Whoo-hoo! I've got a date! Yeah!" He looked up to the sky with a huge grin on his face. "You hear that world?!" he shouted, all of his nervousness and shyness vanishing. "I've got a date with Skyla Fuuro!"

His voice echoed throughout the city, scaring away a few Bird Pokemon who had perched on a nearby rooftop.

The door opened again. "Congratulations," Joseph called from inside. "So, where are you going and what are you wearing?"

Tony's smile froze on his face. "Oh, no…"

* * *

"Elesa!" The doors to the Nimbasa City Gym Leader's dressing room burst open, a panicky Skyla running inside. "Help!" she wailed.

Thankfully, Elesa was fully dressed in a red and golden Kantonian dress. She paused in the midst of her self-admiration in the mirror at her friend's entrance. "Skyla? What's the matter now?" She struck a pouty pose. "Don't tell me I need to give you a pep-talk again."

"T-Tony…" Skyla stuttered. "He asked me on a date."

Elesa smiled widely. "Skyla, I know you've never had feelings like this before so you may not know much about this, but… a date is a good thing."

"I know that!" Skyla huffed, folding her arms.

"Then why, pray tell, are you so distressed?" Elesa questioned.

"Because!" Skyla cried. "He actually asked me on a date – we're going out for dinner together alone!"

"I fail to see the problem here."

"I don't know the first thing about dating!" Skyla groaned and buried her face into her hands. "I thought I that I would just have to confess, not actually have dinner with him! What do I do? What do I say?" She slapped her forehead. "Oh, why did I say yes?!"

Elesa sweat-dropped, a bizarre feeling of déjà vu setting in. _Didn't we already have this conversation?_ she thought. "Skyla," she said, "where are you having dinner?"

"I don't know…" Skyla muttered. "Knowing how generous and sweet Tony is, though, he'll probably try to take us somewhere nice."

"He is a boy, though," Elesa stated. "How refined is he on a scale of one to ten?"

"Define 'refined'," Skyla ordered.

"Is he like me…" she paused and stood proud and tall, looking quite proud of herself, "or like Roxie?" She shuddered with mild distaste.

"Oh, so how prissy is he, then?" Skyla asked, earning a glare from her friend. "Uh… I'd say he's somewhere between the two of you. He's polite and all, but he has simple tastes. We didn't eat fast food or anything like that on our journey but the restaurants we did go to weren't five-star places or anything like that."

Elesa shrugged. "Well, that is above Roxie, I'll say that much…"

"Well, not everyone's as rich as you are, Elesa," Skyla retorted. "Oh, wait, Tony was once _way_ richer than you are…"

"Can we stay on the subject, please?" Elesa asked.

"R-right," Skyla said. "Look, you know more about this kind of thing than I do. Confessing to him is one thing, but going to dinner with him is something else completely. What do I do?"

"First things first," Elesa said, scratching her chin, "what are you going to wear?"

Skyla face-palmed. "I should have known…"

Elesa folded her arms. "This isn't about fashion, Skyla," she scolded. "This is about letting Tony know that you liked him enough to doll yourself up. This about showing him that you care. It's not about sheer cosmetic shallowness, it's about a girl wanting to look beautiful for the boy that she loves."

Skyla raised an eyebrow. "Moving. So, you dress up in your ridiculous costumes to look good for the boy that you love?"

"No, I dress up in ridiculous outfits because I get paid."

"Ah."

Elesa smiled. "Well, if you don't want to get dressed up then you can just go to dinner as is. Oh, dear, I hope Tony doesn't dig deep and take you someplace high-class if you're dressed like _that_…"

"Okay, okay!" Skyla cried. "Fine… What did you have in mind?"

Elesa smiled. "Well… I might have something that might work. A dress that wasn't exactly my color. I think it would suit you, though."

"It won't make me look stupid or anything, will it?" Skyla asked nervously.

"No." Elesa smirked. "But Tony will sure look stupid when he sees you wearing it…"

* * *

Back at Oliver's place, our unfortunate male lead was having a similar conundrum.

"Why did make me do that?!" Tony groaned, slumping back into his chair. "I… I can't go on a date!"

Joseph's fingers twitched, wishing they had a cold can of liquor to grip. "You said you would."

"I said that I'd confess," Tony corrected frantically, "not ask her out to dinner! I've never dated anyone before! I… I don't even have a suit! I don't even know where we're going to eat!" He gave a cry of unhappiness and slammed his face into the table. "Darn it all…"

Oliver calmly placed a cup of tea in front of his distressed guest before sitting down himself. "Ah, young love…" he said wistfully, his eyes becoming misty and far-off. "I remember my first date with my wife, Andrea…"

"What did you do?" Tony asked, looking up at the old man.

"Well, it was a long time ago," Oliver muttered, nostalgic memories returning to him. "It was a different time, too. Well, I called on Andrea and took her out to Rondez Gardens. We had cotton candy, I won her a stuffed Beartic, and we rode on the Ferris wheel. The usual stuff." He paused and then sighed. "And then I was drafted…"

Tony sighed. "I'm doomed… I asked her out to dinner… I don't even know where we're going to eat… I don't even have a reservation…"

Joseph swore loudly. "For the love of… Did you hear nothing I said not ten minutes ago!? Man up! You were gonna ask her out anyways!"

"I-I was just going to confess, though," Tony muttered. "I just… asking her out just came right the heck out of nowhere. Ugh." He ran his hands through his hair. "What am I going to do?"

"You made a commitment," Oliver replied. "You need to stick to it. Besides, you two make a cute couple."

"So they say," Tony sighed.

"There are a few nice restaurants in the area," Oliver said, "and some of them affordable, too. It'll be a little pricier than your usual fare, I'm sure, but it'll certainly be a nice gesture to your date. A nice restaurant will show how much you value her."

"Okay…" Tony bit his lower lip. "It's not like I'm broke or anything. I'm sure I can afford to feed us. But, uh, what do I wear?"

Oliver snapped his fingers. "I have something in the back of my closet that just might work," he said, standing up. "Stay here and I'll go get it."

"O-okay," Tony said with a nod.

"You stay there," Oliver repeated, walking off. "We're going to turn you into the new Casanova for your date with Skyla!"

"Women everywhere will weep as they watch you walk hand and hand down the street," Joseph said drily.

Tony ignored the comment and waited patiently, praying to heaven that he'd get out of this with his friendship and dignity intact.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**It's almost here… The long-awaited moment…**

**Huh, weird. You can find English episodes of the X and Y anime online. It's pretty good so far, but the Black and White series isn't even done yet… **

**Oh well.**

**Reader Question Time! Halloween rapidly cometh! What is your favorite kind of candy? I like Butterfingers and Peanut Chews! What about you? Answer after you review! **

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy **


	46. Preperations

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**Tony turned to his friends Joseph and Oliver for help with his upcoming date with Skyla. Thankfully, both of the older men were willing to help out our bug-catching hero, and Oliver quickly set out to find something presentable for Tony to wear.**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

"Elesa, if you think I'm going to put that thing on, you're out of your mind."

Elesa frowned as Skyla tossed the corset back over the curtain, the white garment landing on the blonde's head. "You don't have to tie it on too tightly…" Elesa muttered, pulling the undergarment off of her head.

Skyla poked her head out from the red curtain. "I'm not going to tie it on at all!" she declared. "No corset!" she emphasized.

Elesa rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said, tossing the girdle back into a random pile. "If that's how you feel…"

"This isn't colonial Unova, Elesa," Skyla grumbled, retreating back behind the curtain. "And my waist is fine…" She poked her head out again, a worried expression on her face. "Isn't it?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, it is," Elesa replied.

"Really?" Skyla looked behind the curtain and then out again. "Is my waist too wide? I think it's too wide… Maybe I should try the corset again…"

Elesa rolled her eyes, feeling like an idiot for even suggesting the corset in the first place. "It was just a suggestion, Skyla," she called. "Just put on your dress and show me how you look."

"Give me the corset back first."

Elesa slapped her forehead. "Fine."

* * *

"Okay, guys, I need your help."

Tony sat down in the grass of Oliver's front yard, his Pokemon all out of their Pokeballs and staring intently at their trainer, save for, as usual, the ever-moody Clover.

Tony took a deep breath. "Alright," he said, "so here's what's happening. Tonight, Skyla and I are going… on a date."

The reaction was mixed. Most of the Pokemon didn't know what a date was, including, oddly enough, the womanizing Strike. Clover rolled her eyes and took a nap. Rock Candy cocked her head to the side, her eyes blinking in confusion, and the youngest, Sunny, chirped, "Vrr? Vrr?" _What's a date? Can you eat it?_

Two Pokemon did recognize the term. Lancelot had heard of dates before, believing that they were merely bizarre human mating rituals (true enough, I suppose). Before he had been abandoned the Karrablast had sent many a potential suitor running when they sought out dates with his then-trainer Gwen.

Oddly enough, Lancelot felt less protective of Tony. The Bug-type gave his trainer an approving nod. "Karra," he grunted.

Lucky, however, went _ballistic._ "Freeeeeh?!" she shrieked, mortified. Her trainer… involved with another human being?! As her _mate?! _This couldn't be real! "Freeh!" she growled, jamming her face into Tony's, demanding an explanation.

Tony winced; he couldn't remember Lucky ever being so mad before. "A-a date," he stuttered. "What I mean is, I'm going out for dinner with her…"

"Freeh!" Lucky interrupted angrily. _I know what a date is! _

"Well, she's really nice, and funny, and smart…" Tony tried to explain.

Lucky gave an angry huff, refusing to look at her trainer anymore. It was bad enough that she had to share Tony with all of his other annoying Bug-types. Now she'd have to share him with Skyla, who already commandeered so much attention from the bug-catcher.

Lucky growled. Though Tony was and had always been a human, she had always viewed him as her best friend – a sort of surrogate brother even. Sometimes she liked to think that Tony was secretly a Butterfree, like her. Unfortunately, Butterfree mate for life.

Wonderful.

"You don't have to be so angry," Tony said quietly. "It's just a date."

Lucky snorted. Pokemon never said things like, "Well, it's just my instinctual mating dance" or "You see, that's just the smell of my pheromones." When a Pokemon was going to mate, they went and they mated. Humans, as far as Lucky knew, were the same. This date could only have one conclusion: miniature Tonys and Skylas running around, soaking up even more attention from Tony.

The Butterfree wiped away a tear that had snuck up on her. Why was it so difficult to spend alone time with Tony? Why did he always have to focus on something other than her? It wasn't fair!

Tony sighed. He'd have to talk with Lucky later. "Alright," he told his Pokemon. "Mr. Oliver and Joseph have agreed to look after you while I'm gone. Be on your best behavior for them, okay?"

The Bug-types chorused with various chirps and clicks in agreement, save for the brooding Lucky and Clover, neither of whom were in the mood to talk.

Tony sighed again; he had expected as much from Clover but not from Lucky. He was about to say something to his oldest friend, something to cheer her up, when Oliver poked his head out the window.

"Tony, I found it! Come inside, quickly!"

Tony nodded. "I'll be out in a few minutes," he told his Bug-types. "Everyone behave!"

Most of the Pokemon agreed again. Lucky growled. Clover didn't care.

* * *

"Elesa… these are high-heels."

"Yes. One usually wears nice shoes with a nice dress."

"But… I don't wear heels. I tried once and they hurt my feet."

"Well, try them out again. Maybe you'll do better this time."

"Okay…" There was a brief pause and then Skyla said, "Now what?"

"Stand up and try walking," Elesa advised.

"Okay…" Skyla's feet, clad in shimmering blue shoes, landed on the floor as the Mistralton Trainer rose up and stepped forward.

She fell down almost immediately. Crying out, she grabbed the curtain for support, only to tear it down and land on the floor, covered in red velvet.

"Huh…" Elesa muttered. "I think that heels might not be the right choice for you."

Skyla grumbled from underneath the curtain. "You think?"

* * *

"So…" Tony looked nervously to Oliver and Joseph, who were eying him up and down. "How do I look?" the bug-catcher asked.

"Like a ten year-old trying on his sixteen year-old brother's suit," Joseph answered with honesty and dryness. "You sure you're fourteen?"

Tony face-palmed. "I knew I'd look stupid…" he muttered dejectedly.

"That's not true," Oliver replied honestly. "That suit was given to me by my father when I first took my wife out for dinner. It's been passed down from generation to generation throughout my family."

"Then why would you let me wear it?" Tony asked.

"Well, I don't have a grandson," Oliver replied. "It needs to go to someone. I tried giving it to Joseph, but he said he'd never need it."

"It's true," Joseph said with a nod.

Tony looked down at the baggy suit he was wearing. A pair of baggy dress pants covered his legs. A white baggy collared shirt covered his torso, that covered by a baggy black sport jacket. Needless to say, it was too big for him – baggy, if you'd prefer.

"I look like a little kid…" Tony muttered unhappily. "I can't wear this on my date. I know Skyla's older than me and all, but still…"

Oliver nodded, conceding the point. "You're right. It's too loose. We need to tighten it up a bit. Do either of you boys know how to sew?" Tony and Joseph both shook their heads. "I see…" Oliver muttered. "Wait a second!" he snapped his fingers, an idea popping up in his mind. "I have an idea that just might work… Tony, get your Swadloon and…"

* * *

"Ow! Ow! Stop it, Ele… Ow!"

Elesa gritted her teeth as she pulled her hairbrush time and time again through Skyla's scarlet bangs. "Hold still…" the blonde ordered.

"But it hurts!" Skyla whined.

"That's not my fault," Elesa retorted. "Do you _ever_ brush your hair? It's all knotty."

"I've been travelling with Tony the past couple of days," Skyla unhappily explained. "I haven't had much time to brush my hair."

Elesa sighed. "Fine," she said. "Then this calls for drastic measures. Let's go to the bathroom – I'm going to fix your hair, even if it kills you."

Skyla swallowed.

* * *

"Alright, Clover, just a little more…"

"Loon…"

Oliver's skilled hands gently wrapped the thin, transparent webbing that the Swadloon spun from her mouth around Tony's leg. "Almost… Got it!" He stood up, his back creaking a little as he did so, and looked at the bug-catcher proudly.

Tony looked down on himself. Clover had spun an almost invisible thread, a common ability of her evolution line. Oliver had taken the string and wrapped it around Tony's legs and arms, tightening the grip of the cloth. The upper portions of the suit did look better, but the lower portions now stuck out.

"What do you think?" Oliver asked Joseph. "How does he look now?"

"Like he's wearing bellbottom dress pants," Joseph replied.

Tony winced. "Maybe I should dress wear my usual clothes… Not that I don't appreciate the suit, Mr. Oliver."

"Nonsense!" Oliver scoffed. "You want to dazzle the girl, don't you?"

"Yes, but…"

"You look fine," Oliver said, shutting the blond up. "Besides, you'll grow into it."

Tony wasn't exactly convinced. "If you say so…"

Clover wasn't convinced either. "Loon," she grunted, shaking her tiny body.

Tony picked up the Swadloon and placed her on the table, putting her down next to Joseph. "Okay," he said, patting the grumpy Pokemon on the head. "What's next? Should I shave or something?"

Joseph snorted. "Shave what?"

"I'll take that as a no," Tony grumbled, rubbing his completely smooth face.

"Emergency extra grooming is a good idea," Oliver agreed. "But before you do that, I'd like to know where you plan on taking Ms. Fuuro."

"Uh… Well, not to any fast food place, that's for sure," Tony replied. He hadn't thought about a good place to take Skyla yet. "I, uh, don't know."

Joseph poked Tony's back. "Why not a Kalos restaurant?" he asked, getting the blond's attention.

Tony swallowed. "You mean, like, a fancy restaurant where all the menus are in Kalos and everyone's all upper-class and…"

"Yeah, that," Joseph interrupted.

"I can't…" Tony groaned. "I'd probably make a fool of myself… and I don't have that kind of money," he added.

Joseph reached into his pocket. "Let it never be said…" he muttered, fishing out a small paper booklet, "that I never did anything for you." He tore out a piece of paper and handed it to Tony. "Here," he said, shoving it into the bug-catcher's hand.

Tony looked at the tiny paper. It was a coupon for someplace called _Une Bouteille d'Amour_ – an upper-class Kalos restaurant that had, according to the coupon, recently opened up to the public of Nimbasa City.

"I collect a lot of coupons," Joseph explained. "They were handing them out by the liq... by the grocery market. I like getting things cheap so I picked it up. I'll probably never eat that that place, so feel free to use that. It'll give you twenty-five percent off your bill at the end."

Tony smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Joseph."

"Don't thank me," Joseph replied, "just get out there and stop stuttering like an idiot."

Tony pocketed the coupon. "Alright," he said, trying to sound confident. "I'll go brush my teeth and then I'll be ready!" He walked off to find the bathroom. "I think…" he added nervously.

Oliver smiled at Joseph. "That was very kind of you," he congratulated.

"Not really," Joseph replied. "Never been a fan of Kalos food. I'm just giving it to him because he'll get more use out of it than I would."

Oliver chuckled. "You're a much better person than you know," he said, walking off to check up on Tony.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Joseph muttered. He looked down to the table, surprised to see that Clover was glaring venomously at him. "The heck are you looking at, squirt?" he asked the Swadloon.

"Loon…" Clover growled.

Joseph shrugged and returned the glare.

* * *

Skyla whimpered as she stood still in front of the bathroom mirror, clad in a fluffy white bathrobe that hid the dress Elesa had presented her with. "Careful," she begged.

Elesa's thin hands worked through her hair, combing it, tugging it, controlling it, each movement of the model's hands sending out a flash of brief pain through the poor redhead's body. "C-careful…" Skyla whined again.

Elesa licked her lips as she finished. Skyla's hair finally looked presentable. "Alright," she said, "I'm done with your hair."

Skyla stood up. "Thank goodness…" she said.

"Now onto the make-up," Elesa added.

"No!" Skyla exclaimed, her eyes widening. "No make-up! No! I refuse!"

"Nothing?" Elesa pouted. "Nothing at all?"

"Nothing at all!" Skyla declared. "It's bad enough that you were going through my hair for fifteen minutes! You are not painting my face! I look fine!"

"I know," Elesa agreed with a sigh, finally conceding defeat. "You do look fine."

"That's right…" Skyla folded her arms and looked into the bathroom mirror. "I look fine…" She swallowed. "Just fine?" she asked.

Elesa shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with looking fine."

"But I want to look… more than just 'fine,'" Skyla explained. "I want to look… beautiful."

"You already are beautiful."

"More beautiful, then," Skyla groaned. "You're the one who said that I needed to look my best for him."

"I did, didn't I?" Elesa cracked her knuckles. "Alright, then!" she declared happily. "Make-up time!"

Skyla whimpered.

* * *

Tony gently tugged at the red tie that Oliver had knotted around his neck as he stared at himself in the mirror. He couldn't remember ever wearing something like this before, even when he and his mother still lived in the lap of luxury.

He looked… handsome. Heck, he looked really handsome. If his Auntie was here, she'd be a waterfall of gushing love and admiration.

Auntie…

Tony winced. He hadn't told Aunt Sally about this yet. She had said no to dating, hadn't she? He sighed. He'd have to tell her – tonight. After the date.

The date…

Tony looked at his watch; five forty-five. Almost time to pick Skyla up.

He took a deep breath and let it out before leaving the bathroom. He walked into the kitchen, where Joseph and Clover were waiting. Clover's glare was slightly lest antagonistic; maybe she was wishing him well? Tony accepted it with a smile. Joseph gave him an approving nod as well. Tony returned the nod. The blond was an only child, but somehow Joseph felt very much like the older brother that Tony had never had.

He stepped outside. The rest of his Pokemon, as well as Mr. Oliver, were waiting for him. Lancelot led a chorus of encouraging cheer as Oliver wished Tony well. Even Lucky gave a tiny peep – not for Skyla's sake, of course. It was only because the Butterfree wanted Tony to at the least have a nice dinner.

Tony smiled, his confidence slowly building. He wished everyone well and walked off, setting course for the Nimbasa Gym.

It was time.

* * *

Skyla looked nervously at the mirror in Elesa's bathroom, wondering what the heck she had done to deserve this.

Elesa had taken the liberty of making Skyla's face her personal painting. Both of the former Gym-Leader's eyelids were lightly coated with some dark sticky stuff. Her lips were painted bright red, the same color as her hair. Her cheeks had been gently dusted with some sort of powder.

Skyla swallowed. She looked… beautiful. Mature. The make-up felt very alien to her but it was doing its job. The question was, would Tony like it?

She looked at her watch. Five fifty. Tony would be hear in mere minutes.

She slowly walked out from the bathroom, still clad in the white robe. She stepped through the neon halls of the Nimbasa Gym, back to Elesa's dressing room.

Elesa was waiting for her. "Are you ready?"

Skyla nodded once. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"The robe." Elesa frowned. "Take it off. I want to see the dress and your make-up together."

Skyla nodded and removed the robe.

Elesa beamed. "I," she declared, "am a _genius_."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Look at you, you lucky things. You got an extra-long chapter today! Aren't I generous?**

**Well, the moment of truth has arrived. Will the date go off without a hitch or will it end in misery? Will Tony and Skyla make it work or will their friendship be doomed? Will their dinner go on without a hitch? Tune in next time for answers!**

**Reader Question Time! Quality report time! How is my story so far on a scale of one to ten, and what I can I do to improve? Answer after you review! **

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy **


	47. The Date

**Last time, on Tony's Journey…**

**With help from Oliver, Joseph, and Elesa, Tony and Skyla dolled themselves up for their upcoming first date. With nervousness and tension prevalent in, the two set off to find one another and begin what could very well be the worst or best night of their lives!**

**What will happen next? Find out now!**

* * *

The sky had added a tinge orange to its pallet by the time that Tony arrived at the Nimbasa Gym, signaling an approaching sunset. Each step of the bug-catcher's slightly oversized dress shoes echoed throughout his mind as he walked down the sidewalk, ignorant to hustle and bustle of city-life that surrounded him. All he could think about was tonight. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for.

He wasn't sure how to feel. He knew he should probably be nervous but he had spent so much of the day in timidity that it was beginning to grow stale. He wanted to be optimistic but he knew that there were so many ways that the evening could go horribly wrong.

So it was that Tony felt nothing but a bizarre, confused void of an emotion, caught between anticipation and terror. He wondered if this is what it felt like to get on a roller coaster.

So he walked on, frozen in a chilling, indescribable emotion. His face was completely neutral, without a single tinge of emotion whatsoever, even as he approached the door of the Nimbasa Gym.

The automatic doors slid open as Tony approached and someone walked outside – someone beautiful.

Tony froze, his heart leaping to his throat. Eyes wide, he stood stock still and stared wordlessly at the woman. She stared back in silence.

"Skyla?"

"Tony?"

Skyla was… gorgeous. Beautiful. Beyond even those, in Tony's mind. Never before had he ever seen such a creature of beauty, a fairy who had evolved from a woman, a lovely metamorphosis into a being so beautiful that she could simply not be a regular human being.

Skyla's hair was neatly washed and combed, still moist from Elesa's treatment. It hung down to her neck loosely, freed from its usual ponytail or any other hairstyle. Her eyes had a tinge of eyeliner above them and her lips – Tony blushed – her lips were bright ruby red, the color of fresh apples, gleaming beautifully in the dying sun. Her cheeks were lightly dusted with blush ever so slightly. Her eyes sparkled like sapphires.

And then there was the dress. It was made from the finest of Bug Pokemon silk, woven by master weavers into a garment that was fit for an angel. The material was a light sky-blue – the perfect color for someone like Skyla – and shimmered brightly. It was sleeveless and cut just at her knees, hiding enough skin to be modest but showing enough to make Tony turn bright red. Her feet were clad in simple sandals, colored in a matching blue.

Tony nearly fell over. He hadn't expected Skyla to be… this… this… Was there even a word for a girl – no, a woman this beautiful? He struggled to think of some.

As he did, Skyla stated wordlessly at the eye candy presented to her. Tony's hair, normally a messy forest of golden locks, was neatly brushed and combed, held firmly in place by a spritz of hairspray. His face was neatly washed, free of cosmetics as opposed to her own.

He was wearing a suit for her – a suit. A real suit. Elesa had said that one should dress nicely for any date, to show respect and care to his or her significant other. Tony had gone and gotten a suit – had he bought one? Skyla hoped that he hadn't. Suits were expensive. The suit was black with a white shirt underneath and a bright red tie hung proudly around his neck. He smelled good, too – Skyla wondered if he had used cologne (which he hadn't; that was the smell of mothballs).

He looked… adorable. Not cute. Not childish or immature. Adorable. Worthy of adoration.

There was something about that face, something about the way he stood, the way he dressed, that made Skyla bright red as the attraction grew larger. He looked adorable – a friend worthy of praise and adoration. A loyal friend, a companion who would never leave her side, who would stick with her through thick and thin. A friend who would stay at her side, who would laugh when she laughed, who would dry her tears when she cried, who would care for her, nurture her, even when she was at her absolute worst, even if her ego grew to narcissistic levels, even if she treated him as little more than dirt.

He looked like a friend. A true friend. An adorable friend. A handsome friend.

Elesa had finally noticed the silence and stepped outside. She looked to Skyla, her newest masterpiece, her living painting, and then to Tony. She gave an impressed whistle. "My, my. Don't you look handsome? I'm jealous, Skyla." She smirked and nudged her dumbstruck friend with her arm.

Tony and Skyla finally recovered their wits. "I… You…" Tony stuttered. "You look… beautiful."

Skyla's blushed grew all the redder. "T-thank you," she replied. "You look pretty… dashing."

"Dashing?" Tony smiled nervously. "Me?"

Elesa nodded in agreement. "You do," she said with a grin. "Very handsome," she emphasized.

Skyla gave her friend a low growl.

Elesa ignored her. "Did you buy that suit new?" she asked.

"Actually, I got it from a friend," Tony explained. "Mr. Oliver lent it to me," he explained. He paused, wondering if that was acceptable for a date.

Skyla seemed to think so. "It looks really good on you," she complimented nervously.

"T-thanks," Tony replied. "So, uh… Shall we go?" He held out his arm, his hand waiting for Skyla's.

With a slight tremble, Skyla took Tony's hand. "We shall," she replied.

Hand in hand, the two walked to the side of the street. Tony called for a cab. One came and took them away, a golden carriage, like out of a fairy tale, carrying them off into a city of lights and dreams.

Elesa slowly wiped a tear from her eyes. "My baby's all grown up…" she whispered wistfully.

* * *

As per usual, traffic was heavy that evening. The cab inched about through traffic, the driver biting his tongue to keep from shouting obscenities with a new couple in his backseat. The ride was long but mostly quiet inside the cabby.

The sun had set by the time the cab finally reached _une Bouteille d'Amour. _Skyla's blue eyes went wide, sparkling beautifully in the neon violet and yellow lights that glowed across the restaurant. The _Bouteille_ was crafted from white bricks, with large windows in each wall, proudly displaying their gourmet dining rooms to the public. A large neon sign sat on top of the restaurant, a bright white bottle with a pink heart floating above and the name of the establishment displayed below.

Skyla was dazzled. "You can afford this place?" she asked, surprised.

Tony, who was paying the cabby, said, "I sure hope so."

He took her hand and led her inside.

* * *

The inside of the _Bouteille_ was luxurious.

The plush carpet was dark red, made from the finest of wools. The tables were carved from the finished mahogany, glassed and polished by master craftsmen, and each one neatly set with silverware, napkins, and wine glasses, all resting on top of unstained white tablecloths. Waitresses and waiters, dressed in wine-red dresses and suits respectively, fretted to and fro, aiding customers and clearing tables.

Tony led Skyla to the front desk. A tall man with a thin mustache and suit met them, standing behind a podium with a small book on top of it. Skyla thought Tony's suit looked much better.

"May I help you?" the man asked, his Kalos accent so thick that it had to be fake.

"Table for two, please," Tony said, praying that the _Bouteille_ wasn't booked for the evening.

"Mais oui," the man replied with a nod. "Smoking or non-smoking?"

"Non-smoking, please," replied Tony. "Uh, and we'd like a window seat, if that's okay," he added.

"Very good, monsieur," the man said. "Marie! Escort this couple to their table, s'il vous plaît."

"Mais oui!" A pretty blonde waitress swiftly came up to the couple, her accent fake but good enough to pass as real to most non-Kalos folk. "Follow me, s'il vous plaît!" she said with a bow.

She led the silent couple to a single round table, standing solitary and neglected by the window. Outside, they could see the lights of cars driving by and the ever-present glow of neon glowing in the night. Nave

Tony politely pulled out Skyla's chair. She sat down with a grateful smile, her date taking his seat across from her.

"Je m'appele Marie," the waitress greeted. "I will be your server tonight. May I interest you in _une Bouteille d'Amour's_ wine list?"

"We're underage," Tony said.

"Then might I interest you in some sparkling apple cider?" Marie asked patiently.

"That sounds great," Skyla said with a nod. "I'd like a glass, please."

"Mais oui. Et vous, monsieur?" Marie asked, looking at Tony.

"I'll have a glass of cider, too, please," Tony replied; he had a feeling that this was not a good place to be asking for a soda.

"Très bien," Marie said, handing the two menus. "I shall return with your drinks. Please consider what you would like to drink. Au revoir!" And with that, she walked off, humming to herself.

Seeing as how this was the first date for the happy couple, the conversation naturally died the moment the waitress walked off. Silence quickly fell as Tony and Skyla stared wordlessly at one another, both of them still impressed by just how great their respective other looked.

Finally, Tony spoke up. "Uh… I guess we should… look at what we want to eat."

"Right," Skyla slowly agreed.

They picked up their menus and flipped them open. Tony immediately winced as his eyes were drawn to the first thing that came to mind: the prices. Everything on the menu was expensive. Even the salad was pricy!

Well, the food did sound good, thankfully. Summer salads, pasta, bread, fondue, the soupe de jour, and pastries were displayed on the plastic pages, each one looking delectable. Tony's mouth watered. He could go for some pasta right about now, drenched in sauce…

Messy, messy sauce…

Oh, dear…

Tony froze. If he ordered something messy or forgot his manners even for a second, he'd embarrass not only himself but Skyla, too – and in public! That would be horrible – that was probably an instantaneous date killer, ending any further romantic relations.

"What are you having?" Skyla asked absentmindedly from behind her menu.

"…Salad," Tony relented. Salad was nice and all, but hardly worth getting ravenous for. His stomach growled; he hadn't eaten lunch that day. He had been too nervous about his date. "Salad and some bread," he decided, satiating his stomach's rage.

"Think I'll have…" Skyla almost licked her lips before she remembered her lipstick. Could she eat with lipstick on? Why hadn't she asked Elesa that? "I'll have a salad and some bread, too," she decided, unsure if she could the soupe de jour without it washing her lips clean. Could she even drink with lipstick on?

_Freaking Elesa,_ she thought unhappily. _Why didn't she tell me about this!?_

Getting dressed up for dinner was harder than either of them had thought.

The waitress returned with their drinks, two wine glasses filled with fizzy golden liquid. She cheerfully gave the couple their cider and took their orders before rushing off again. Say what you will about the phony accents; at least the staff was diligent.

Tony picked up his glass with a careful hand. Skyla did the same. The two looked to one another.

"So," Tony said. "To us?" He held up the glass.

The tension melted again. Skyla smiled. "To us."

Their glasses clinked together.

* * *

Two plates of leftover lettuce and bread crumbs sat neglected on the table. The cider glasses were empty, waiting to be whisked away by the waitress and refilled.

The table was completely unoccupied.

A smooth, slow jazz riff echoed throughout the restaurant. Gentle saxophones wailed lowly as the chipper keys of the piano and the muffled blare of a trumpet joined them, creating a spine-tingling melody, one that begged to be danced to. Many happy couples had already risen to the challenge, spinning on the dance floor that had been placed in front of the stage where the band played.

Tony nearly stopped breathing. His legs moved in unison with Skyla's, somehow keeping up with the tune. He had danced before, thank heavens, so he was able to follow the music. However, he had always danced with his Auntie before – now he was dancing with Skyla.

The two had never been so close to one another. Chest against chest, face to face, their noses nearly touching one another. Tony's left arm was wrapped around Skyla's waist, sending a shiver down her spine, and his right was holding her hand, leading her through the steps as the band's horns and strings played them, controlled them.

"A-are you alright?" Tony whispered to Skyla.

"I'm fine," Skyla whispered back. "I've just never danced before…"

Tony smiled. "Just follow me."

"Don't I always?"

"Heh."

The music reached its climax. The audience applauded them. Tony and Skyla didn't stop dancing.

* * *

There they were again. Those pesky kids.

The man frowned as he leaned back into his seat, watching Tony and Skyla as they silently waltzed across the dance floor, ignorant to the world around them. _Together again,_ he mused, licking his lips.

He wanted to hate them – he really did. After all, Tony had foiled him before, defied him regularly. Skyla was a Gym Leader, an advocate of Pokemon slavery. He wanted to hate them.

However, the last few weeks of his life had been difficult. Ugliness and misery were prevalent each day, and when he went to sleep at night he often wished – he often prayed – that he wouldn't have to wake up in the morning.

And there they were, those crazy kids, deeply in love with one another. They had grown up with family, family who had loved them, cared for them. He remembered, not so long ago, that he had had such something like that, once upon a time…

He sighed. No. It would be so easy to destroy the two of them here and now, but he didn't want to anymore. He didn't care. After all, he had joined the Roulette Rumble as well. He could crush them in battle then. No need to draw attention to himself. No need to bother himself in destroying them anymore – he wasn't a Plasma anymore.

His eyes never left the dancing couple. They looked so happy – so carefree. Evidently young Mr. Miller's relationship with Skyla was better than his own with Numera. If there was one thing that Tony and Skyla had over him, it was their friendship – their love.

Not like what he had had with Numera… That witch…

The former Sir Mystico, now once again Simon Silk, wrapped in his cleverest of disguises, one that no one could possibly recognize him, raised his glass of wine to nobody. "Here's to bachelorhood." And with that, he downed his drink.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Looks like the date went pretty well, doesn't it? :D Yes, I could have made it super-awkward and have Team Plasma attack or something like that, but I thought we'd had enough of that crud for now… Special emphasis on "for now."**

**Reader Question Time! Time for another Halloween question! What was the best Halloween costume that you ever wore? The best one I ever put on was my Ten Plagues of Egypt costume! :D Answer after you review!**

**Oh, and if you never dressed up for Halloween, tell me about the coolest costume you ever saw someone else wear. :D**

* * *

**Tony's Pokemon:**

**1: Lucky, female Butterfree**

**Ability: Compound Eyes**

**2: Sunny, female Larvesta**

**Ability: Flame Body**

**3: Lancelot, male Karrablast**

**Ability: Swarm**

**4: Strike, male Scolipede**

**Ability: Poison Point**

**5: Clover, female Swadloon**

**Ability: Leaf Guard**

**6: Rock Candy, female Dwebble**

**Ability: Sturdy **


End file.
